US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he has "no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using" for the death toll in the Gaza Strip, Reuters reported.
The Gazan “health ministry” says over 6,500 people have been killed in Israeli attacks, includes some 2,700 children.
Biden was asked at a White House press conference whether the PA death count means Israel has been ignoring US appeals to reduce civilian deaths in its bombardment of the coastal enclave.
"What they say to me is I have no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed. I'm sure innocents have been killed, and it’s the price of waging a war," Biden replied.
"(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," Biden added.
"But I have no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using," he said, though he did not say why he was skeptical of the Palestinian Arab figures.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it was "deeply disturbed" by Biden's comments on the Gaza figures, and called on the president to apologize.
"Journalists have confirmed the high number of casualties, and countless videos coming out of Gaza every day show mangled bodies of Palestinian women and children," CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement quoted by Reuters.
Biden on Wednesday also said that the status quo before the war could not continue.
"Israelis and Palestinians equally deserve to live side by side, in safety, dignity, and peace. There's no going back to the status quo as it stood on October 6th. That means ensuring Hamas can no longer terrorize Israel and Palestinian civilians as human shields. It also means that when this crisis is over, there has to be a vision of what comes next, and in our view, it has to be a two-state solution. It means a concentrated effort from all the parties, Israelis, Palestinians, regional partners, global leaders, to put us on a path toward peace," the President said.
Biden later spoke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A statement from the White House said Biden and Netanyahu “discussed developments in Gaza as well as ongoing efforts to locate and secure the release of hostages to include American citizens we believe are held by Hamas.”
“They also reviewed ongoing discussions to ensure safe passage for foreign nationals wishing to depart Gaza as soon as possible,” according to the statement.
“The President discussed ongoing US support for the continuous flow of humanitarian support to the civilian population in Gaza and welcomed efforts to increase this support over the coming period. The President reiterated that Israel has every right and responsibility to defend its citizens from terrorism and to do so in a manner consistent with international humanitarian law,” the White House said.
“He also noted the importance of focusing on what comes after this crisis to include a pathway for a permanent peace between Israelis and Palestinians, emphasizing that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people or their legitimate aspirations.”
Finally, the statement said, the two “agreed to remain in regular consultation both directly and through their respective national security teams.”