The BBC has been accused of downplaying the cruel treatment of Israeli hostages by Hamas.

The broadcaster has been accused of publishing “jaw-dropping propaganda” for the terror group after producing a “puff piece” for its hostage unit.

The Telegraph can reveal that BBC Arabic has now been forced to edit a video clip featuring the “shadow unit” of Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigade, which it described as “guarding” kidnapped Israeli hostages.

The video featured a scene of female Israeli hostages who were reported to “thank” their captors for the treatment they received.

BBC Arabic is already facing claims it has given a platform to hate and terror. Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, said it was “fomenting extremism and misleading audiences”.

Her comments came after the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (Camera) published a 33-page report claiming BBC Arabic was providing a “platform to terrorists”.

Concerns over the report come just weeks after the BBC was forced to pull a controversial documentary on Gaza which featured the son of a Hamas government minister as the narrator and did not inform viewers of his parentage.