Israel Bans B'Tselem Radio Advert Listing Names of Children Killed in Gaza

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority (IBA) has banned a radio advertisement from a human rights organisation that lists the names of some of the Palestinian children killed in the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.

IBA justified its decision by saying that the advert's content was "politically controversial".

B'Tselem -- which aims at raising awareness of human rights violations occurring in the Palestinian territories – unsuccessfully appealed against the ban.

"Is it controversial that the children [aren't] alive? That they're children? That those are their names? These are facts that we wish to bring to the public's knowledge," the human rights group wrote in its appeal on Wednesday.

"So far more than 600 people have been killed in bombings in Gaza, more than 150 of them children. But apart from a brief report on the number of fatalities, the Israeli media refrains from covering them.

"IBA says broadcasting the children's names is politically controversial. But refusing to do so is in itself a far-reaching statement – it says the huge price being paid by civilians in Gaza, many of them children, must be censored."

Following the ban, B'Tselem posted the censored spot on social media.

The ban came as the UN warned of the "strong possibility" that Israel is violating international law and may be committing war crimes in Gaza.

Israel Defence Forces' (IDF) ground invasion of Gaza, which began on 17 July, constitutes an expansion of the existing Operation Protective Edge, launched on 8 July to restore calm in southern Israel after Gaza launched more than 150 rockets into the country.

According to the latest reports, more than 725 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed since the IDF launched its operation.

The Israeli death toll stands at 32 soldiers and three civilians.