The BBC has been accused of being “grossly negligent and extremely hypocritical” over claims it is forcing staff to keep working in its Lebanon office despite the UK government ordering UK citizens to “leave immediately”.
Britain has urgently deployed 700 troops to Cyprus to prepare for a possible evacuation of thousands of Britons from the territory which has essentially been engulfed by an open war between Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists and Israel.
Israeli warplanes have launched multiple airstrikes against targets in the Lebanese capital Beirut, the city where the BBC bureau is based, and on Monday Lebanon’s health ministry said 550 people had been killed in several attacks.
Hezbollah has been bombarding northern Israel for months with rockets causing thousands of Israelis to be evacuated from their homes.
A well-placed source said the BBC was putting “staff and their families lives at risk” by not closing the office during the escalating conflict.
He said: “The BBC is being grossly negligent and extremely hypocritical in continuing to operate the bureau. On one hand, it is reporting that British citizens are advised to leave Lebanon and on the other, it is putting its staff and their families’ lives at risk by not ceasing operations in what is fast becoming a war zone.”
The source added that those working at the BBC office, which includes Lebanese, dual-nationality, European and international journalists, were worried if they tried to leave they might lose their jobs.
He added: “All the time the office is open the staff must be there and by leaving they would essentially be putting their jobs at risk.
“The BBC needs to do the decent thing and at least give people the opportunity to leave.”
It’s understood concerns are so high the issue has been raised with the BBC branch of the National Union for Journalists (NUJ). Express.co.uk have approached the BBC for comment.
Israel has now moved thousands of troops who had been serving in Gaza to the northern border with Lebanon sparking fears of a ground invasion against Hezbollah forces.
It says Hezbollah has some 150,000 rockets and missiles, including some capable of striking anywhere in Israel, and that the group has fired some 9,000 rockets and drones since last October.
As tensions mount in the Middle East Sir Keir Starmer called on Israel and Hezbollah to agree on an immediate ceasefire as he urged Britons to leave Lebanon immediately to escape the escalating violence.
The Prime Minister addressed the UN Security Council today (Wednesday) with a plea for an end to the violence in both Lebanon and Gaza. In a blunt message to Israel, he said Benjamin Netanyahu’s government needed to do more to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Ahead of his appearance at the UN in New York, Sir Keir said: “In relation to Lebanon, I am very worried about the escalation. I’m calling for all parties to step back from the brink, to de-escalate. We need a ceasefire so this can be sorted out diplomatically.
“But I have a very important message for British nationals in Lebanon which is: the time to leave is now. The contingency plans are being ramped up but don’t wait for those, there are still commercial flights.
“It’s very important that they hear my message, which is to leave and to leave immediately.”