The documentary Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, which examines the work of medical professionals in Gaza and was previously shelved by the BBC due to concerns over impartiality, won a BAFTA TV Award for current affairs on Sunday, with the acceptance speech taking a strongly political turn.
On stage at the London ceremony, journalist Ramita Navai and executive producer Ben de Pear used their platform to defend the film and criticize both Israel and the BBC, revisiting the controversy surrounding the decision not to broadcast the documentary.
During her speech, Navai cited figures from the investigation, stating that tens of thousands of women and children had been killed in Gaza. She also said the documentary documented widespread destruction of medical facilities, the killing of more than 1,700 healthcare workers, and the detention of over 400 medical staff. She described these findings using the term “medicide,” attributing it to UN-related terminology.
She also directly criticized Israel, linking the reported figures and conditions in Gaza to the ongoing war and describing the situation as a severe humanitarian crisis.
The team also aimed at the BBC, which had originally commissioned the documentary but later decided not to air it, citing editorial concerns about impartiality. Navai stressed that the filmmakers stood by their investigation and rejected any attempt to silence or censor their work.
De Pear dedicated the award to journalists in Gaza who contributed to the film under extremely dangerous conditions, noting that many media workers had been killed during the conflict.
He then directed a question to the BBC from the stage saying: “Finally, just a question to the BBC, given you dropped our film, will you drop us from the BAFTAs screening later tonight?”
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