Watchdog Ofcom has confirmed it will be looking into the BBC Gaza documentary controversy as the broadcaster found today it had been "in breach of guidelines".
A spokesperson from Ofcom stated: "Having examined the BBC's findings, we are launching an investigation under our rule which states that factual programmes must not materially mislead the audience."
The BBC breached its editorial guidelines on accuracy by failing to disclose that the narrator of a Gaza documentary was the son of a Hamas official, according to a review published today.
The corporation's internal investigation examined Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, which featured a 13-year-old boy narrating about children's lives in the conflict zone.
Ofcom will now investigate the breach of guidelines
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Following news of the connection, the documentary was removed from iPlayer.
The probe, which was led by the BBC's director of editorial complaints and reviews, Peter Johnston, found that whilst the independent production company Hoyo Films bore most responsibility for the failure, the BBC was also at fault.
Three members of Hoyo Films knew about the narrator's father's position, but nobody within the BBC was aware at the time of production.
The report criticised the BBC team for not being "sufficiently proactive" with initial editorial checks and for a "lack of critical oversight of unanswered or partially answered questions".
BBC was found to be in breach of guidelines earlier today
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Director General Tim Davie told MPs in March that he made the "very difficult decision" to remove the film after he "lost trust" in it.
"If you're asked a number of times [about the boy's family] and that question was not answered [by Hoyo Films]... that is basics," he told the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.
He went on to argue: "There was absolutely legitimate journalism to be done," before noting that "that's what makes it frankly frustrating where we are".
The BBC received approximately 500 complaints that the film was biased against Israel and another 1,800 over its removal from iPlayer, Davie told MPs.
It was also understood following the findings that the controversy had attracted criticism from Ofcom.
The regulator warned that recent controversies could "start to erode public trust and confidence".
The BBC apologised in February after an interim report identified "serious flaws" in the making of the documentary.
Israel does not allow international news organisations, including the BBC, into Gaza to report independently, which has made coverage of the conflict particularly challenging for broadcasters.
Director General Tim Davie told MPs in March that he made the "very difficult decision" to remove the film after he "lost trust" in it
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The review found no evidence "to support the suggestion that the narrator's father or family influenced the content of the programme in any way".
A financial examination revealed that £795 was paid for the narrator's services, with the payment made to his adult sister.
The review stated this amount was not "outside the range of what might be reasonable in the context".