Susan Sarandon, Frankie Boyle, and Lindsey Hilsum among 600 media figures urging BBC to air shelved Gaza medics documentary

Over 600 media figures have called on the BBC to air a shelved documentary about Palestinian medics under Israeli fire.

3 min read

12 May, 2025

The signatories of the letter urging BBC to air the documentary on Gaza's medical workers include Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon [Getty]

More than 600 leading figures from the media, arts, and cultural sectors have signed an open letter demanding that the BBC immediately broadcast 'Gaza: Medics Under Fire', a completed yet unaired documentary exposing Israeli attacks on Palestinian healthcare workers in Gaza.

The signatories include Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon, comedian Frankie Boyle, Channel 4's news editor Lindsey Hilsum, and more than a dozen current BBC staff. They accuse the broadcaster of suppressing the film for political reasons, despite it having already undergone months of editorial reviews and fact-checking.

"This is not editorial caution. It's political suppression," the letter states, calling out what it describes as a double standard when it comes to Palestinian testimony. "Every day this film is delayed, the BBC fails in its commitment to inform the public, fails in its journalistic responsibility to report the truth, and fails in its duty of care to these brave contributors."

The documentary, produced by Basement Films and directed by an award-winning team including Ben de Pear, Karim Shah, and Ramita Navai, focuses on Palestinian medics working under fire during Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza.

It features eyewitness accounts from frontline doctors and nurses who describe treating the wounded in overwhelmed hospitals and targeted clinics.

British filmmaker Sophie Binyon told The New Arab that several independent and prominent journalists had exposed the BBC's clear bias in covering Gaza over the past 19 months and that the findings were "damning".

Binyon referenced the BBC's recent decision to pull the Gaza documentary 'Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone', after it was revealed that one of the 13-year-old narrator was the son of a "Hamas official" in a move widely criticised as a disturbing precedent for censoring Palestinian narratives based on family affiliations.

"The BBC's self-preservation at Portland Place has overtaken its duty to report the truth. It's disgraceful," Binyon added.

An internal source at the BBC, who asked to remain anonymous due to fear of professional repercussions, told TNA that the current controversy reflects long-standing internal concerns:

"This isn't an isolated incident. Many filmmakers and journalists who have worked with the BBC have long encountered similar patterns - stories reshaped, voices sidelined, and editorial decisions made to appease political sensitivities rather than serve the public," the source sad.

"This moment reveals a deeper structural problem: who gets to tell the story, whose pain is seen as legitimate, and which narratives are allowed to reach the screen."

Also among the signatories is veteran documentary filmmaker Ruhi Hamid, who emphasised the stakes involved in reporting from conflict zones like Gaza.

"As a documentary filmmaker, I know how much work, risk, and responsibility go into telling the truth – especially in places like Gaza," she said.

"When the BBC chooses to suppress a film that highlights the lifesaving work of doctors under siege, it doesn’t just fail the filmmakers. It fails the public."

Documentary editor Rose Glandfield added: "As a Jewish woman from a family of pacifists, I was raised with the belief that our humanity is defined by how we respond to the suffering of others. Bearing witness to injustice and standing up for those in danger is not only a moral imperative - it is part of who I am."

The advocacy group Health Workers 4 Palestine has also condemned the delay, warning that it obscures critical evidence of violations of international humanitarian law and undermines accountability efforts.

Basement Films confirmed it was still waiting for a release date.

"We gathered searing testimony from multiple Palestinian doctors and health care workers," the team said. "We are desperate to tell the surviving doctors and medics when their stories will be shared."

The letter, addressed to BBC Director-General Tim Davie, ends with a call for the broadcaster to honour its public service mandate and broadcast the documentary without further political interference.