Fury over cruel one-word BBC description of October 7 massacre 'does our pain not count?'

The BBC has been forced to say sorry after branding the October 7 massacre as "escalations" in a message to its own workers.

Staff at BBC News received the eyebrow-raising email on the second anniversary of the terror attacks.

Fury erupted after the message featured a photograph of Palestinian women and children walking through destroyed buildings in Gaza instead of showing Israeli victims who died in the Hamas onslaught. The news comes as Green Party deputy Mothin Ali 'excusing' October 7 massacre.

Fresh storm erupts over bias claims

The message came from the BBC Audiences team, a department that crunches viewer numbers and tells reporters and producers what content works best for their audiences.

It read: "As we reach the two-year anniversary of the escalations in the Israel-Gaza conflict, we asked UK audiences what they want and need from news coverage moving forward."

The choice of words has triggered another wave of accusations that the corporation harbours anti-Israel sentiment, with critics piling pressure on bosses over claims that have dogged the broadcaster since October 7.

Bereaved relative hits out at wording

Adam Ma'anit, whose cousin Tsachi Idan was kidnapped from the Nihal Oz kibbutz on October 7 and murdered while being held captive, hit out at the corporation.

He said: "To use that language and framing is incendiary and insulting.

"That this report was circulated today of all days speaks to an institutional bias within the BBC that is shocking and distressing. Does our pain not count?"

Natalie Sanandaji, who survived the October 7 Nova massacre, said: "To make such a 'mistake' on October 7 of all days is painful for me to see as a survivor of the Nova festival. Once again, it feels the media is trying to downplay or erase what happened to us on October 7, what started this war: an attack on Israel by Hamas.

"I would have hoped that the media would respect our pain for just one day, the way they respect the pain of the people of Gaza all year round for the past two years."

Ex-television boss condemns language

Danny Cohen, the former director of BBC television, said: "This is shocking but not surprising. It is another example of the everyday, institutional bias at the BBC.

"To call the October 7 terrorist massacre an 'escalation' is deeply offensive. It is the kind of language Hamas might use.

"One might also assume that on this day the picture used by the BBC would focus on Jewish victims of the October 7 pogrom. But the BBC's instinctive bias meant that this was not the case, even on this day of mourning."

A BBC insider said: "It is shocking that such a description of a one-sided atrocity is used in, of all things, a briefing about audience expectations from the BBC. It demonstrates - again - unconscious bias and terrible insensitivity towards Jewish staff."

Corporation backtracks after complaint

The broadcaster changed course after multiple employees raised concerns about both the language used and the photograph chosen to illustrate the email.

A spokesman for the broadcaster said: "This internal staff email should have been worded differently and we're sorry for any offence caused. We are editing it and will replace the text on our intranet."

Sources revealed that a junior employee had drafted the controversial message.

A senior BBC news presenter told The Telegraph: "I don't think the people who wrote that are evil, I think they just don't understand anything about the modern world.

"To use a picture of Palestinian suffering when you are marking the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks: how does that get signed off? It just epitomises everything the BBC is having to grapple with internally."

One BBC source defended the Gaza photograph, claiming it appeared because the email addressed how audiences currently view the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Westminster figures slam corporation

Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, said: "This is the latest shocking example of the bias within the BBC. When will they learn?"

Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, accused the BBC of appearing "to be trying to deny the Oct 7 massacre" and of "rampant anti-Semitism".

Longer document sparked more concern

Staff who clicked through found a lengthier document that also discussed the attacks. It said: "On October 7th, 2023, the conflict between Palestine and Israel reached a new escalation when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 and taking over 200 hostages.

"In response, Israel launched a prolonged military campaign in Gaza, resulting in widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis. Over the following months, ceasefire efforts stalled, global pressure intensified, and civilian casualties continued to rise, sparking worldwide protests and diplomatic tensions.

"In September 2025, the UK Government announced its formal recognition of the state of Palestine, shortly before the two-year anniversary of the Hamas attack.

"This moment presents both a challenge and an opportunity for BBC journalists in how they cover the conflict for our audiences."

String of controversies plague broadcaster

The corporation has been battling similar accusations for months. Tim Davie, the director-general, had to say sorry to the Jewish community in July after airing Bob Vylan's anti-Semitic chants at Glastonbury.

Questions swirled around Mr Davie's leadership after bosses failed to pull the plug on the live feed showing the punk-rap duo encouraging the crowd to join them in chants calling for "death, death to the IDF".

Another scandal erupted when the BBC neglected to tell viewers that a child presenting a Gaza documentary was the son of a Hamas minister, a failing which the corporation's chairman, Samir Shah, described as "a dagger to the heart of the BBC's claim to be impartial and trustworthy".