Sky News has announced that it is joining the BBC in refusing to broadcast an emergency appeal for Gaza.
The broadcaster said in a statement that it had informed the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), an umbrella organisation for 13 humanitarian aid agencies, of its decision.
John Ryley, head of Sky News, said: "The conflict in Gaza forms part of one of the most challenging and contentious stories for any news organisation to cover. Our commitment as journalists is to cover all sides of that story with uncompromising objectivity."
The decision comes after BBC director general Mark Thompson defended the corporation's decision not to broadcast the appeal in spite of more than 10,000 complaints.
He said the BBC was "passionate" about defending its impartiality.
Speaking on Sky News, the channel's head of foreign news, Adrian Wells, said: "Passions are raised on this story, passions are raised in this country and that is only a small reflection of the passions raised in the Middle East. And that is part of the backdrop of why we've made the decision we've made.
"We have to, as an international channel, focus on our primary role and that is to report the story and not become the story."
Asked why Sky had decided not to broadcast the appeal but Channel 5, for which they provide news coverage, will show it, he said: "The dynamics for Sky News are different. Channel 4, 5 are not international news channels - they are broad channels showing all sorts of programmes. The dynamics about what is right for us are different to what is right for them.
"Let me say to those people who might be angry, people who might be passionate about this, there is no question about Sky's commitment to reporting the region. We've had our reporters there since the gates of Gaza opened. There is absolutely no question of Sky viewers not being aware of the humanitarian crisis."
He said that Sky had "no problem with the good intentions of the DEC appeal".
