President Joe Biden has apologized to prominent Muslim-American leaders following his controversial remarks questioning the reported Palestinian death toll from Gaza.
The apology took place during a meeting with five Muslim American leaders, convened to address concerns raised after Biden’s comments on October 25.
The gathering, initially scheduled for 30 minutes, extended to over an hour as Biden listened to the leaders recount personal stories of individuals affected by the conflict.
Expressing remorse, the President stated, “I’m sorry. I’m disappointed in myself.”
Prior to this meeting, Biden had openly cast doubt on the accuracy of casualty figures from Gaza, citing concerns about Hamas’ track record of terrorism.
This stance drew criticism domestically, especially as he had been actively urging Israel to minimize civilian casualties.
“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 a price of waging war,” Biden had remarked before the press conference.
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According to data from the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, over 14,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including numerous women and children, have reportedly lost their lives in the conflict.
Israel, in turn, has suffered more than 1,200 fatalities, primarily civilians, during a massive attack launched by the terror group on October 7.
During the meeting with Muslim-American leaders, he faced calls to demonstrate greater empathy for the Palestinians, emphasizing the complexities of the ongoing conflict.