A Hamas leader’s teenage son who narrated the BBC‘s Gaza documentary has warned the corporation he holds it responsible if ‘anything happens’ to him.
Abdullah al-Yazouri, from Gaza, Palestine, contributed to the recent controversial documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone.
The film was pulled from iPlayer last month after the BBC acknowledged ‘serious flaws’ in how it was produced.
Viewers were not told that Abdullah, the 14-year-old boy who narrated it, was the son of a senior Hamas minister.
It also later emerged that around £790 was paid into a bank account belonging to Abdullah’s sister.
Their father, Ayman al-Yazouri, is the deputy agriculture minister in Gaza’s Hamas-run government.
The funds, which are equivalent to a month’s salary in Gaza, were transferred by the production company Hoyo Films, who made the programme. A full audit of the money used to make the programme has been demanded by the BBC.
In his first interview since the controversy, Abdullah told Middle East Eye: ‘I did not agree to the risk of me being targeted in any shape before the documentary was broadcasted on BBC. So anything happens to me, the BBC is responsible for it.’
A Hamas leader’s teenage son who narrated the BBC’s Gaza documentary has warned the corporation he holds it responsible if ‘anything happens’ to him
Abdullah al-Yazouri, the 14-year-old who narrated the documentary, is the son of a senior Hamas leader
Abdullah said: ‘I was very impartial in this documentary.’
He claimed that ‘some anonymous people tried to hide the true suffering of Gaza’s children’ by attacking him online.
He said he and his family have been targeted by ‘cyber bullying, harassment and all kinds of things’.
Speaking about the documentary being pulled, he said: ‘Personally, I think it’s pretty disappointing, to be honest.
‘I’ve been working for over nine months on this documentary for it to just get wiped and deleted.
‘I found about the decision to remove the documentary from the news. And no, I did not receive any apology from BBC. It was very sad to me. That the thing that I’ve worked on is received with hate.’
The teenager went on to tell the BBC he is ‘very disappointed’ in their decision to take the documentary down.
He said he hopes the move will be reconsidered and it will be put on screens again.
Abudullah, the son of a senior Hamas official, is seen in the BBC’s controversial documentary Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone
‘I thank all of those in the United Kingdom who had supported me, supported the documentary, and had protested for the documentary to be put back on BBC.
‘I thank you all from the bottom of my heart and continue your efforts that hopefully can and will return the movie back up on BBC.’
Metropolitan Police said: ‘We’re aware of a BBC documentary about Gaza and we have received a number of reports raising concerns.
‘Officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command are currently assessing whether any police action is required in relation to this matter.’
It previously emerged that the BBC paid more than £400,000 of licence fee money to Hoyo to make the documentary.
Whilst the broadcaster stressed the production company was independent, they accepted that ‘the processes and execution of this programme fell short of our expectations’.
The funds paid to Abdullah, which are equivalent to a month’s salary in Gaza, were transferred by the production company Hoyo Films, who made the programme for the BBC.
The broadcaster said: ‘Hoyo Films have told us that they paid the boy’s mother, via his sister’s bank account, a limited sum of money for the narration.’
The BBC published an apology about the now disgraced documentary.
A woman pictured outside the BBC headquarters holding signs in protest of the documentary
Protesters gathered outside the BBC offices in London during a demonstration against the broadcaster’s Gaza documentary
They admitted that ‘serious flaws’ had been identified ‘ in the making’ of the programme.
A BBC spokesperson added: ‘During the production process, the independent production company was asked in writing a number of times by the BBC, about any potential connections he and his family might have with Hamas.
‘Since transmission, they have acknowledged that they knew that the boy’s father was a Deputy Agriculture Minister in the Hamas Government; they have also acknowledged that they never told the BBC this fact.
‘It was then the BBC’s own failing that we did not uncover that fact and the documentary was aired.
‘Hoyo Films have told us that they paid the boy’s mother, via his sister’s bank account, a limited sum of money for the narration.
‘While Hoyo Films have assured us that no payments were made to members of Hamas or its affiliates, either directly, in kind, or as a gift, the BBC is seeking additional assurance around the budget of the programme and will undertake a full audit of expenditure.’
A spokesperson for Hoyo Films added: ‘We are cooperating fully with the BBC and Peter Johnston to help understand where mistakes have been made.
‘We feel this remains an important story to tell, and that our contributors – who have no say in the war – should have their voices heard.’
MailOnline approached the BBC for comment.
