Activists decry BBC coverage of Israel's killing of Palestinian man with Down's syndrome in Gaza

A BBC report published on Tuesday on the killing of a disabled Palestinian man by Israel has drawn intense backlash, following what activists described as a "misleading headline" and "dehumanisation of Palestinians" amid the war in Gaza.

The British public broadcaster's news website initially ran the story with the headline "The lonely death of Gaza man with Down’s syndrome" — omitting mention of the fact that 24-year-old Muhammad Bhar was left to die by the Israeli army after a combat dog was violently set on him.

In the report, written by veteran Irish journalist Fergal Keane, the attack was not mentioned until the 16th paragraph — almost halfway through the piece.

Instead, the story led with Muhammad’s disabilities and the challenges he had faced throughout his life, as told by his mother Nabila.

Soon after, the report detailed the Bhar family's experience of displacement by war, and the distress Muhammad experienced due to the sounds of bombs, before going into detail about the Israeli army dog attack.

Following the story’s publication, activists took to social media to criticise the BBC's reporting.

Disability activist Tamara Taggart said the 24-year-old with Down’s syndrome didn’t die "a lonely death", and was in fact "brutalised".

"Muhammad was non-verbal and needed his mum for everything, his pain is impossible to comprehend," she said.

Libyan caricaturist Suhaib Tantoush called the BBC’s headline "despicable", adding that it will be "remembered historically".

"Muhammad [sic] was killed maliciously and in an evil manner by Zionists," Tantoush said.

Meanwhile, left-wing commentator Owen Jones called the headline a "disgusting travesty", and applauded the outrage for forcing the BBC to amend their headline.

"Neve stop fighting the dehumanisation of the Palestinian people as they are butchered with Western complicity," he wrote on X.

The BBC has since deleted the post following the criticism, and amended their headline. The new ones now reads: "Gaza man with Down’s syndrome attacked by IDF dog and left to die, mother says".

In a new post on Wednesday, the BBC News World's X account added a disclaimer that the latest post "replaces an earlier version in order to update a headline that more accurately represents the article".

Some suggested that the change wasn’t good enough, with one activist saying it failed to mention "who the dog was with, and why".

The BBC has been criticised for alleged bias concerning Palestinian-related topics, particularly during Israel's war in Gaza.

In November, Al Jazeera obtained a letter detailing accusations by several BBC journalists that the broadcaster was "failing to sufficiently acknowledge Palestinian suffering", in addition to claims that "humanising coverage of Palestinian civilians" at the BBC "has been lacking", with a "double standard in how civilians are seen".

One month prior, reports emerged that BBC journalists were "crying at work"  over concerns that the broadcaster was treating Israeli lives as "more worthy" than those of Palestinians in coverage of the war, which has seen at least 38,794 Palestinians killed as of Wednesday.

Muhammad suffered from Down’s syndrome and autism. He was heavy and found mobility challenging and his disabilities meant that he needed constant assistance with things such as eating and drinking.

The 24-year-old often expressed how scared and panicked he was amid the sound of Israeli bombs, as the country waged its war in the enclave. On 27 June, Muhammad and his family were ordered to evacuate from the Shujaiya neighbourhood in eastern Gaza City. Exhaustion from the war and constant displacement made the Bhar family tired, including Muhammad.

Muhammad’s home was raided by Israeli soldiers on 3 July, the BBC said. His mother told the soldiers that her son is disabled, pleaded for them to have mercy on him, and asked for the dog to be kept away.

The dog attacked Muhammad on his chest and his hand, resulting in bleeding. Soon after, the Israeli soldiers took the 24-year-old to another room, locked the door, saying that they would bring a military doctor to treat his wounds.

Several hours later, Muhammad’s family was ordered to leave the home by the soldiers, despite their pleas, leaving the 24-year-old alone with soldiers in the room.

The family returned to their home one week later, only to find Muhammad’s decomposed body surrounded by blood.

Based on what he saw, Muhammad’s brother Jibril said the Israeli soldiers likely tried to stop the bleeding, but then left him "without stitches or care".

"Muhammad was dead for a period of time because he was abandoned. We thought he wasn’t at home. But it turned out he had been bleeding and left alone at home this whole time. Of course the army left him," Jibril said.

Israeli soldiers have a track record of brutality against disabled Palestinians in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank. In June 2020, Israel faced global criticism after soldiers shot and killed autistic man Eyad el-Hallak, who was on his way to a special needs school in Jerusalem.

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