BBC defends Rafah report after White House censure

The BBC has defended its coverage of the war in Gaza following criticism from the White House regarding its reporting of a recent incident in the region that left several dead.

- HANNAH ROBERTS

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that the BBC had to "correct and take down" its story about fatalities and injuries near an aid distribution centre in Rafah, after updating an article's headline with new information.

In response, the BBC stated that it has not removed its story.

The corporation explained that its headlines about the incident were "updated throughout the day with the latest fatality figures as they came in from various sources", adding that this is "totally normal practice".

During a press briefing on Tuesday, Ms Leavitt addressed the incident, saying: "The administration is aware of those reports and we are currently looking into the veracity of them because, unfortunately, unlike some in the media, we don't take the word of Hamas with total truth.