*Mohd Faizal Kasmani

Abstract:

This article compares the BBC and Al Jazeera English’s online news coverage of the October 2023 Gaza War during its early stages. It uses the framework of critical discourse analysis (CDA) to examine how language and social practices shape each outlet’s reporting. The analysis covers the period from October 7 to October 9, 2023. Excluding blogs and picture news, the BBC published 11 news reports and Al Jazeera, 13. The main questions concern the similarities and differences between the BBC and Al Jazeera’s coverage and the reasons behind them. Findings indicate that the BBC emphasises Israeli victimhood and frames Hamas as the primary aggressor, while Al Jazeera presents Israel as the dominant force escalating the conflict, with a focus on Palestinian perspectives. The findings reveal that the BBC and Al Jazeera offered conflicting narratives in their coverage of the 2023 Israeli-Palestinian war.

Keywords: Critical discourse analysis, the BBC, Al Jazeera, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian