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By Rachel Dobkin
Weekend Reporter
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President Joe Biden has accused Palestinian officials of lying about the civilian death toll in Gaza.
On October 7, Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on Israel in history. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza. According to Israeli officials, 1,400 people in Israel have been killed as of Wednesday, the Associated Press reported, while 6,546 Palestinians have died, according to officials from the health ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas.
Democratic Representatives Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota have been among the vocal critics of Israel regarding deaths of innocent Palestinians. Biden's remarks at Wednesday's joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese could further increase tensions between Democrats in Congress and the president.
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A reporter asked if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was ignoring Biden's request to minimize civilian casualties, to which Biden said: "What they say to me is that I have no notion the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many are killed ... I'm sure innocents have been killed and it's the price of waging a war ... The Israelis should be incredibly careful to be sure that they're focusing on going after the folks that are propagating this war against Israel and it's against their interest when that doesn't happen but I have no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using."
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The recent casualties of Palestinian civilians at a hospital in Gaza City has contributed to tensions within the U.S. government. On October 17, an explosion at al-Ahli hospital caused a number of casualties. The Hamas-run health ministry put the death toll at around 500 and the group said the explosion was caused by an Israeli airstrike. However, Israel denied this allegation and U.S. intelligence determined that Israel "was not responsible". U.S. intelligence also told Newsweek the death toll was lower.
Tlaib posted on X, formerly Twitter, on October 17, saying, "Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients) just like that. @POTUS this is what happens when you refuse to facilitate a ceasefire & help de-escalate. Your war and destruction only approach has opened my eyes and many Palestinian Americans and Muslims Americans like me. We will remember where you stood."
The congresswoman doubled down when news broke that Israel was not responsible for the attack, saying in a statement on her website: "I cannot uncritically accept Israel's denials of responsibility as fact, especially in light of confirmation from the World Health Organization that Israel has bombed numerous medical facilities in Gaza and reports from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society of ongoing threats from the Israeli military to evacuate hospitals."
Florida Representative Jared Moskowitz, a fellow Democrat, told Fox News on Tuesday that the House should consider a resolution introduced by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, that would censure Democrats, including Tlaib.
"Listen, I think once we get a House speaker here, I think that censure resolution will come to the floor," Moskowitz told host Kayleigh McEnany. "And I do think it's something that everyone should consider."
Moskowitz added: "This is about U.S. intelligence. This is about U.S. information. This is about not willing to trust the Biden administration and U.S. intelligence, but instead continuing to pretend like the Ministry of Health out of Gaza is nothing other than a terrorist organization telling people what we want to hear."
Biden continues to support Israel while claiming at Wednesday's press conference that the country "has to do everything in its power, as difficult as it is, to protect innocent civilians."
In a post on X from Monday, Biden pushed for a "two-state solution," where the U.S. supports both an independent Palestinian state and a secure Israel. He wrote: "As hard as it is, we cannot give up on peace. We cannot give up on a two-state solution. Israelis and Palestinians equally deserve to live in safety, dignity, and peace." Biden reiterated America's position on the "two-state solution" during Wednesday's press conference.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment on Wednesday.
Update 10/25/23, 4:22 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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