The BBC has paid £28,000 in compensation to an Israeli family who survived the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, after a film crew entered and filmed inside their destroyed home without authorisation.
An Intrusion After the Attack
As first reported by Jewish News, a BBC crew, led by senior correspondent Jeremy Bowen, entered the home of the Horenstein family in the village of Netiv HaAsara in the days following the assault. The family was unaware of the entry.
The crew filmed personal items, including photographs of the Horensteins' children, at a time when many friends and relatives were still uncertain of the family's survival.
The Family's Ordeal
Tzeela Horenstein described the harrowing attack on her village, stating Hamas terrorists threw a grenade at her husband, Simon, outside their home. The couple and their two young children survived only because their front door twisted and jammed when attackers tried to blow it open with explosives after trying to capture them "for hours."
The family eventually escaped by crawling through a window and running barefoot to their car. Their home was left destroyed and declared uninhabitable.
Horenstein discovered the BBC's report featuring her home "by chance." She told Jewish News: "Not only did terrorists break into our home and try to murder us, but then the BBC crew entered again, this time with a camera as a weapon, without permission or consent. It was another intrusion into our lives."
She added: "Even in times of war there are limits, and when a media outlet crosses them, it must be held responsible."
Apology and Settlement
Following the start of legal proceedings in Israel, BBC News issued a written apology and paid the £28,000 settlement. The apology, written in Hebrew by Middle East bureau chief Joaquin Floto, expressed regret for the family's distress.
Floto described the entry as "a good-faith mistake, as we believed consent had been given," and stated "The BBC had no intention to harm you or cause you discomfort."
A BBC spokesperson told the PA news agency: "While we do not generally comment on specific legal issues, we are pleased to have reached an agreement in this case."
This incident follows a sanction from Ofcom against the BBC last year for breaching the Broadcasting Code in a documentary about Gaza, where the corporation failed to disclose a narrator's links to Hamas.
The October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw 251 others taken hostage. The subsequent war in Gaza has, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, killed over 67,000 Palestinians. The conflict continues under a fragile ceasefire agreed in October 2025.
