Israel-Gaza: BBC says it covers 'opinions from all sides' as protestors gear up for demonstration at its Belfast HQ

An application has been submitted to the Parades Commission for the Saturday demonstration, which has been promoted by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), which has been acting as a kind of co-ordinating body for pro-Palestinian protests, carrying a list of upcoming examples organised by themselves and others.

On Thursday People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll, one of the most outspoken voices about Israel-Palestine in the last fortnight, said that "sections of mainstream media have lined up to condemn Palestinians for resisting occupation".

He added: "We have seen a concerted effort to demonise all support for the Palestinian people, with the BBC recently forced to retract lies told about pro-Palestine demos."

This is a reference to a clarification issued by the BBC earlier this week in which it said: “We spoke about ‘several demonstrations across Britain during which people voiced their backing for Hamas’. We accept this was poorly phrased and was a misleading description of the demonstrations.”

The organisers of Saturday's protest ask members of the public to join the demo "to highlight the complicity of mainstream media in this conflict".

The Parades Commission 11/1 form says the march will begin at 3.15pm at Wellington Place then proceed to College Square East, Fisherwick Place, Howard Street, Bedford Street, and Ormeau Avenue.

It lists 10 unnamed bands, and up to 2,000 protestors.

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Asked to comment, the BBC referred the News Letter back to a statement issued earlier in the week, in which it said: "We understand that this is an extremely worrying time for people not only in the region, but also in the UK and around the world, and we have reflected this in our coverage.

"BBC News has provided our global audiences with coverage and first-hand testimony of the atrocities committed by Hamas, and the suffering in Gaza.

"We have made clear the devastating human cost to civilians living in Israel and Gaza, and the unprecedented nature of what has happened.

"The huge loss of civilian life on both sides makes this a shocking and difficult story to cover.

"Our correspondents have been to the scenes of attacks, massacres and potential war crimes; and reported on the harrowing scenes they have witnessed.

"We have reported on the atrocities committed by Hamas in their assault on Israel and have heard many accounts from survivors of these attacks and family members of the victims, reflecting the trauma they are suffering.

"On the ground in Gaza our teams have reported on the rising death toll from Israeli air strikes and the unfolding humanitarian crisis, as rockets destroy buildings, power and water supplies are cut and thousands try to move out of the way of danger.

"We have reflected statements from the UN and NGOs. We have interviewed representatives of the Israeli government, Hamas and UK government ministers and asked whether international law is being adhered to.

"BBC News has also examined the history and complexities of the Israel-Palestinian conflict and analysed the potential consequences of the war for the wider region.

"Our reporting has included opinions from all sides, the region and the wider world.

"We have previously covered the escalation in tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, and the reasons for it.

"Careful consideration has been given to all aspects of our coverage to ensure that we report on developments accurately and with due impartiality in line with the BBC Editorial Guidelines, which are publicly available.

"The BBC, along with many other UK and global news organisations, does use the word 'terrorist', but attributes it.

"We have made clear to our audiences that Hamas is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK and other governments.

"The use of attribution is required by our Editorial Guidelines.

"We know that our audiences turn to us for clarity and to help them separate fact from fake.

"We know that trust is earned and we do not take that for granted."