More than 500 film, TV, and media workers have condemned censorship and racism after the BBC pulled a documentary about children’s lives in Gaza.

The media professionals, including 12 BBC staffers, sent a letter to the broadcaster’s leadership on Wednesday, in which they condemned a “racist” and “dehumanizing” campaign targeting the film Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone.

The BBC removed the documentary from its iPlayer streaming service after pressure from supporters of Israel. In a note to viewers, it said that there have been “questions” raised about the film and that it is “conducting further due diligence with the production company”.

The media workers wrote: “Beneath this political football are children who are in the most dire circumstances of their young lives. This is what must remain at the heart of this discussion.

“As program-makers, we are extremely alarmed by the intervention of partisan political actors on this issue, and what this means for the future of broadcasting in this country.”

The film, they added, offers an “all-too-rare perspective on the lived experiences of Palestinian children” and “deserves recognition” rather than censorship.

The BBC’s board is set to discuss the documentary on Thursday.

Last year, more than 100  BBC staff members accused the broadcaster of giving Israel favorable coverage in its reporting of the war on Gaza and criticized for its lack of “accurate evidence-based journalism”.