The BBC engaged in a "significant breach" of broadcasting rules by omitting to mention that the narrator of a film about the Gaza conflict was the child of a Hamas administrator, as determined by UK media regulator Ofcom.
An investigation by the broadcasting watchdog into the documentary titled Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone has determined that the programme was "materially misleading".
The BBC's director general had previously apologised, noting there had been "a significant failing in relation to accuracy".
The regulator has directed the BBC to broadcast a prime-time announcement about its conclusions.
"As this represents a major infringement of our regulations, we are instructing the corporation to transmit a announcement of our determinations against it on BBC2 at 21:00, with a timing to be finalised," the regulator stated.
'Potential to Damage Trust'
The authority's report said: "Our probe determined that the programme's lack of disclosure that the narrator's father occupied a role in the Hamas-controlled government was substantially inaccurate.
"This implied that the public did not have vital facts which may have been highly relevant to their assessment of the presenter and the information he provided.
"Confidence is at the core of the connection between a broadcaster and its audience, especially for a state-funded media outlet such as the public broadcaster.
"This error had the possibility to erode the exceptionally strong levels of confidence that audiences would have placed in a BBC factual programme about the Gaza conflict."
The film was removed from the BBC's streaming service in the month of February after the boy's family links came to light, and in July an broadcaster's internal assessment determined it infringed the organization's journalistic standards on truthfulness.
A BBC spokesperson stated: "The regulator's decision is in line with the conclusions of the internal assessment, that there was a significant failing in the programme in relation to the broadcaster's journalistic policies on accuracy, which corresponds to clause 2.2 of the regulator's media standards.
"We issued an apology for this and we comply with Ofcom's decision in its entirety. We will follow the penalty as soon as the date and wording are determined."
