BBC apologises for calling Israeli hostages ‘prisoners’
Nicky Schiller, on the BBC News channel, said 'Israeli prisoners' were due to be released by Hamas
The BBC has apologised after a presenter dewscribed Israeli hostages held by Hamas were “prisoners”.
Nicky Schiller, a presenter on the BBC News channel, told viewers that three “Israeli prisoners” were due to be released by the terror group on Saturday.
The three men – Yarden Bibas, 35, Ofer Kalderon, 54, and Keith Siegel, 65 – had all been taken hostage by Hamas during the Oct 7 terror attacks in 2023.
Schiller told viewers last Friday: “Confirmation in the last couple of hours, first from Hamas, that three Israeli prisoners, all men this time, will be released tomorrow and then we will see 90 Palestinian prisoners freed from Israeli jails.”
The BBC later issued an apology saying:”“Earlier today on BBC News we reported on the names of those three Israeli hostages who are due to be freed tomorrow.
“At one point during the coverage we mistakenly called the hostages ‘prisoners’ and we would like to apologise.”
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