The BBC has apologised after one of its presenters said “Israeli forces are happy to kill children” during an interview with the country’s former prime minister.
Speaking to Naftali Bennett on Tuesday evening, Anjana Gadgil said: “The Israeli military are calling this a ‘military operation’, but we now know that young people are being killed, four of them under 18.
“Is that really what the military set out to do? To kill people between the ages of 16 and 18?”
In response, Mr Bennett said: “Quite to the contrary. Actually, all 11 people dead there are militants.
“The fact that there are young terrorists who decide to hold arms is their responsibility.”
He then went on to claim that all those killed during the military operation were “terrorists” and that many of those responsible had killed Israelis over the past year.
Countering, the BBC presenter said: “Terrorists, but children. The Israeli forces are happy to kill children.”
Mr Bennett then said: “It’s quite remarkable that you would say that because they are killing us.”
Following the interview, the BBC received complaints namely from The Board of Deputies of British Jews who said the presenter had violated the broadcaster’s impartiality rules.
Addressing the exchange, a BBC statement said: “BBC News has received comments and complaints concerning an interview with Naftali Bennett broadcast on the BBC News channel about recent events in the West Bank and Israel.
“The complaints raised relate to specific interview questions about the deaths of young people in the Jenin refugee camp. Across the BBC’s platforms - including our news channel - these events have been covered in an impartial and robust way.
“The United Nations raised the issue of the impact of the operation in Jenin on children and young people.
“While this was a legitimate subject to examine in the interview, we apologise that the language used in this line of questioning was not phrased well and was inappropriate.”
Israeli forces launched the attack claiming that the camp is a hot spot for terrorists.
Separately, Hamas said one of its militants rammed a car into a crowded Tel Aviv bus stop before stabbing and wounding eight people, including a pregnant woman.
