Israel-Hamas war: Biden alleges 'terrorists beheading children,' White House clarifies
Amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, United States (US) President Joe Biden has alleged that he never thought he would see photographs of terrorists beheading kids. While speaking on the ongoing war in Israel, Biden said on Wednesday (local time), "This attack was a campaign of brutal cruelty, and I never really thought I would confirm pictures of terrorists beheading children."
Why does this story matter?
The news appeared to have come from the Israeli news channel i24News, but it was quickly picked up by major media outlets. However, hours later, the Israeli army stated that there was no evidence to back up these "allegations" that Hamas had "beheaded babies." The US president's statements came at a time when the media was filled with shocking reports about Hamas allegedly "beheading 40 babies."
'Deadliest day' for Jews since Holocaust: Biden on Hamas attack
While labeling Saturday's Hamas attack as the "deadliest day" for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Biden stated, "This attack has brought to the surface the painful memories and scars left by millennia of antisemitism and genocide against the Jewish people." "It has been hard to find that light during the darkness of these past few days, when terrorist groups like Hamas brought not only terror but sheer evil to the world," India Today quoted Biden as saying.
You check out Biden's remarks here
White House issues clarification after Biden's remark
The Washington Post reported that a White House official later clarified Biden's remark about "terrorists beheading children" in Israel, claiming that neither the US president nor American officials have seen or independently confirmed the claims. The official also added that Biden based his comment on claims made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesperson and media reports coming out of the war-torn country.
Netanyahu thanks Biden for 'powerful words of support'
An Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson also said on Wednesday that they cannot confirm the killing of children officially while speaking to The Intercept, but added, "You can assume it happened and believe the report." Separately, Israeli PM Netanyahu spoke with US President Biden on Wednesday again to thank him for his "powerful words of support" and "unequivocal support for the State of Israel."
1,200 Israelis dead, over 2,800 injured
Since Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, over 1,200 Israelis have allegedly died and more than 2,800 have suffered injuries. The number of people kidnapped by Hamas, which the US and European Union (EU) have classified as a terrorist organization, is still unknown. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed nearly 1,200 deaths and at least 5,600 wounded in the Israeli army's "retaliation strikes" on Gaza, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Horrors of Holocaust during World War II
It's worth recalling that the Holocaust was the mass genocide of European Jews during World War II between 1941 and 1945. Nazi Germany and its coalition systematically murdered nearly six million Jews across the then-German-occupied Europe, accounting for roughly two-thirds of the Jewish inhabitants on the continent. Primarily, these killings of Jews were carried out through mass shootings and poison gas chambers in extermination camps.
