Was The Hamas Baby Beheading Story Debunked?

Written by Hudson Crozier

What's happening: Last week, an Israeli journalist claimed that the Israeli government found the bodies of 40 babies murdered by Palestinian terrorists — some decapitated — and showed her pictures. Since then, many conflicting claims about the massacre, specifically the alleged beheadings, have surfaced.

Who is reporting it: The Israeli reporter, a French reporter, and an emergency responder from outside the government all claim to have seen visual proof of the beheadings. Several government employees confirmed the decapitated bodies, according to other media reports.

Why some are doubting: Some Israeli government spokespeople were unable to confirm the beheadings. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) also faced criticism for saying it would be "disrespectful to the dead" to fully investigate the claim. President Joe Biden said he saw pictures, but the White House later clarified he only heard reports.

• It's not debunked: Though these incidents have caused distrust, no Israeli government source has declared the overall massacre or the beheadings false, and no evidence has emerged to debunk them.

• Still, given what we already know about the war, such violence against children by Hamas wouldn't be surprising. The terrorists have targeted elementary schools and other areas for children in attacks and posted videos of small Jewish children they're holding hostage. Images have also surfaced of children's beds and car seats covered in blood.

More skepticism: When Israel released photos of babies killed and burned by Hamas, critics tried to debunk the story using an unreliable digital tool to claim the photos were generated with artificial intelligence. A university expert said they are too detailed to be fake.