BD: Reconstructing Gaza

BBC bias: The BBC presents UNRWA as able to resist pressure from Hamas without mentioning the recent expulsion of UNRWA’s Gaza director and deputy director (Matthias Schmalz and David de Bold)

last monday morning (21st june), 8.32-8.50am, on bbc world service radio 

the economic life of gaza (presented by manuela saragosa) (in the business daily series) 

“Israel’s military says it struck a thousand targets in Gaza last month, in response to more than 4,300 missiles it claims were fired into Israel. With the latest bout of violence now over, the reconstruction can begin once again.

Israel and Egypt maintain a blockade on Gaza that has rendered commerce with the outside world almost impossible. But could the economy have great potential, were the blockade ever lifted?

International donors want to help rebuild businesses like Samir Mansour’s.”

including interviews with …

• samir mansour, “who saw his famous Gaza bookshop destroyed before his eyes”

• elizabeth campbell, washington director at UNRWA, talking about how to avoid “enabling the Hamas government, which is labelled a terrorist group by the US, EU and Israel” 

• asmaa abumezied of Oxfam, talking about “Gaza’s fledgling startup scene” 

• manal white of palestine olive oil importer zaytoun, talking about “the opportunity for Gazan agricultural exports”

(if you missed it, available at https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct1j4v)

Nh/Twt: Gaza, day 12

yesterday evening (friday 21st), 9.06-9.19pm and 9.36-9.45pm on bbc world service radio, and 10.03-10.04pm, 10.08-10.22pm, and 10.42-10.45pm, on bbc radio 4 

newshour (presented by manuela saragosa) and the world tonight (presented by james coomarasamy) lead with …

“Israel and Hamas claim victory after truce.”

“The UN has delivered humanitarian aid to Gaza.”

including contributions from … 

• bbc reporter tom bateman 

• uri dromi 

• gaza resident bassam nasser 

• bbc reporter barbara plett-usher 

• professor reuven hazan 

• bbc reporter sebastian usher 

• matthias schmale, unrwa director of operations, gaza 

Business Daily: Gaza

this morning (tuesday 19th), 8.33-8.40am (repeated this evening, 5.03-5.10pm), on bbc world service radio (freeview channel 710 or 107)
business daily (presented by manuela saragosa) leads with (1st of 4 daily reports about the economies of gaza israel and the west bank) …

“Almost a year after the conflict with Israel, the BBC’s Marie Keyworth reports from Gaza looking at the economy there and how ordinary Gazans are getting by.”