BBC defends Gaza coverage after White House criticism

The BBC on Wednesday defended its reporting of an incident in which Palestinians were killed near a Gaza aid centre after the White House accused the broadcaster of taking "the word of Hamas".

Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli gunfire killed at least 31 people on Sunday near the US-backed aid centre.

The Israeli military, however, denied its troops had fired on civilians in or around the centre, and both it and the aid centre's administrator accused Hamas of sowing false rumours.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that the BBC had to "correct and take down" its story about the incident. But the BBC said the White House claims were not accurate and that it had not removed its story.

"The claim the BBC took down a story after reviewing footage is completely wrong. We did not remove any story, and we stand by our journalism," it said in a statement.

The broadcaster added that the death toll was clearly attributed to various sources, including medics, the Gaza health ministry and the Red Cross.

Leavitt also criticised the Washington Post for its reporting of the incident. The Post updated one article amid pressure, saying that the changes made it clear that "there was no consensus about who was responsible."