London. “Free Palestine” chants rang out at the Glastonbury Festival despite BBC pushback, as the broadcaster faced backlash for airing and then condemning the chants, which included calls for “death” to the Israeli military.

The BBC said Monday it should have pulled its livestream of rap duo Bob Vylan’s performance after the group led festivalgoers in chanting “death, death to the IDF”, referring to the Israel Defense Forces, and "Free Palestine" during UK’s largest music festival on Saturday.

The British broadcaster described the chants as antisemitic, while Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there was no excuse for such “appalling hate speech.”

In a statement, the BBC said it “respects freedom of expression but stands firmly against incitement to violence.”

“The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves,” it added.

Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas has fueled tensions globally, triggering pro-Palestinian protests in many capitals and on college campuses. 

Starmer said the BBC must explain “how these scenes came to be broadcast.” Ofcom, the UK broadcasting regulator, said it was “very concerned” about the livestream and noted that the broadcaster “clearly has questions to answer.”

The BBC initially defended its coverage, stating it had issued an on-screen warning about “very strong and discriminatory language” during the livestream.

The Israeli Embassy in London said over the weekend it was “deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival.”

Formed in 2017, Bob Vylan has released four albums blending punk, grime, and other styles with lyrics addressing racism, masculinity, and politics. Both members keep their real names private for security reasons.

In a social media post, singer Bobby Vylan said he had received a flood of both supportive and hateful messages.

“Teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place,” he wrote.

Police confirmed they are reviewing video evidence from the festival to determine whether any offenses were committed.

Bob Vylan performed Saturday afternoon before Irish-language rap group Kneecap, which has also drawn controversy over its views on Middle East politics. Kneecap led large crowds in chants of “Free Palestine” and targeted Starmer with expletive-laden chants. Starmer previously said it was “not appropriate” for Kneecap to perform at Glastonbury after member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs as Mo Chara, was charged under the Terrorism Act for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London last year.

Bob Vylan and Kneecap were among the 4,000 acts performing before nearly 200,000 music fans at Glastonbury, Britain’s largest music festival.

Israel has faced heavy international criticism over its conduct in Gaza. In May, the U.K., France, and Canada issued a joint statement urging Israel to stop its “egregious” military actions in Gaza and criticizing its conduct in the occupied West Bank.

Since the war began in October 2023 with a Hamas attack on Israel, Israeli strikes have killed more than 56,000 people and injured 132,000 in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says women and children account for over half the deaths. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

On Monday, Israeli forces reportedly killed at least 22 people and wounded 20 others, many of whom were attempting to collect urgently needed food aid in southern Gaza, according to witnesses, hospitals, and Gaza’s Health Ministry. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis reported receiving the bodies of 11 people who were shot while returning from an aid distribution site linked to the Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund. Another 10 were killed at a UN aid warehouse in northern Gaza, part of a pattern in which over 500 Palestinians have been killed during chaotic aid distributions in recent weeks.