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BBC chief downplays Britain’s military support for Israel

The broadcaster’s director of news just let slip why his journalists are turning a blind eye to UK spy flights over Gaza.

HAMZA YUSUF, Declassified UK, 18 June 2025

A senior figure at the BBC has defended the broadcaster’s failure to investigate Royal Air Force (RAF) surveillance flights over Gaza by trying to minimise their significance.

Richard Burgess, director of news content at the BBC, told Declassified last night: “I don’t think we should overplay the UK’s contribution to what’s happening in Israel”.

Burgess’ comment came as he was being grilled over the corporation’s patchy reporting of RAF intelligence sharing with Israel.

The RAF has sent more than 500 spy flights over Gaza since December 2023, which the BBC news website has mentioned just four times.

This is despite the flights taking place on days when Israel committed major massacres of Palestinians as well as British aid workers.

Intelligence from these flights is shared with Israel, whose prime minister is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Gaza.

While the BBC has barely reported on the spy flights, Declassified’s small team has repeatedly investigated them.

We shot the only footage of the spy plane taking off from a UK base on Cyprus and made freedom of information requests for data from the flights………………………………….

When challenged further on why the BBC had not investigated the British spy flight over Gaza on the day Israel killed UK aid workers, Burgess said: “I agree with you that there are important issues to discuss but my point was that we shouldn’t – we need to see it in the context of the overall arming of Israel.”

Labour MP Andy McDonald, who was watching the exchange, told Burgess: “To underplay the role of the UK is an error.” https://www.declassifieduk.org/bbc-chief-downplays-britains-military-support-for-israel/

June 24, 2025 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | media