MORE than 50 MPs will back a parliamentary motion urging the BBC to screen an emergency appeal for Gaza as the corporation refused to back down last night despite more than 10,000 complaints from the public.

The early day motion to be tabled today by Labour’s Richard Burden has received the support of 51 MPs from across the Commons.

The BBC said it had received approximately 11,000 complaints in all, including 1,000 phone calls, over its decision not to broadcast the advert for the Disasters Emergency Committee.

Director general Mark Thompson has also rejected a plea from International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander, saying a broadcast could compromise the impartiality of the BBC’s reporting from the Palestinian territory.

Thousands of people demonstrated on Saturday against the decision outside the BBC’s Broadcasting House in central London.

The corporation’s rival terrestrial broadcasters ITV, Channel 4 and Five said they would show the advert and Sky is considering its position.

The committee – which brings together several major aid charities, including the British Red Cross, Save the Children and Oxfam – wants the appeal to be broadcast on TV and radio from today to help raise millions of pounds for people in need of food, medicines and shelter following Israel’s three-week assault on the Palestinian territory.

Mr Burden, a member of the Commons’ International Development Committee, said he had written to Mr Thompson to press for an explanation for the BBC’s decision, calling those given so far “both unconvincing and incoherent”.

“This is not about taking sides in the conflict. It is about providing urgent help to people in desperate need,” he said.

“More than 400 children have died, thousands are homeless and nothing short of a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Gaza.

“The important thing is to get aid into Gaza. This is recognised by almost everyone – including the Government. The BBC appears to be the only one who has a problem seeing this.”

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg yesterday told BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show that it was an insult to viewers to suggest they could not distinguish between the humanitarian needs of children and families in Gaza and the “political sensitivities of the Middle East”.

And Justice Minister Shahid Malik said he had not met anyone that supported the BBC’s position.

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Dr Rowan Williams and Dr John Sentamu, also joined critics of the BBC for its refusal to broadcast the Gaza appeal and urged it to “wake up and get on with it”.

“This is not an appeal for Hamas – that would be horrendous and horrific,” Dr Sentamu said.

“This is to help actual people who are wounded, who need medicines, who need shelter, who need food. That’s all it is.”