The BBC has issued an apology after a presenter mistakenly referred to Israeli hostages held by Hamas as “prisoners.”
Nicky Schiller, a presenter on the BBC News channel, made the remark while reporting on the anticipated release of three Israeli hostages on Saturday.
The individuals—Yarden Bibas, 35, Ofer Kalderon, 54, and Keith Siegel, 65—were among those abducted by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, terror attacks.
During a broadcast on Friday, Schiller stated: “Confirmation in the last couple of hours, first from Hamas, that three Israeli prisoners, all men this time, will be released tomorrow and then we will see 90 Palestinian prisoners freed from Israeli jails.”
Following the broadcast, the BBC acknowledged the error and issued a formal apology, saying:
“Earlier today on BBC News, we reported on the names of three Israeli hostages who are due to be freed tomorrow. At one point during the coverage, we mistakenly referred to the hostages as ‘prisoners,’ and we would like to apologise.”
The BBC has faced previous criticism over its coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, with concerns raised about its choice of language and reporting approach. Photo by Martin Leng~commonswiki, Wikimedia commons.