UPDATE - White House clarifies Biden’s claims on ‘confirmed pictures’ of Hamas ‘beheading children’

ADDS STATEMENT BY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden’s remarks in which he claimed he had seen “confirmed pictures of terrorists beheading children” were based on media reports and on claims from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.

The newspaper cited a White House spokesperson who clarified that Biden and other US officials have not seen or independently confirmed that Hamas beheaded Israeli children.

In his remarks addressing Jewish leaders at the White House on Wednesday, Biden said: “It is important for Americans to see what is happening. I have been doing this for a long time. I never thought that I would see and have confirmed pictures of terrorists beheading children.”

The Israeli army’s spokesperson’s unit told Anadolu on Tuesday that the Israeli army has no information confirming allegations that "Hamas beheaded babies.”

"We have seen the news, but we do not have any details or confirmation about that,” the spokesperson said.

It was alleged that Hamas' armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, "beheaded many Israeli babies" on the Israeli side during the early Saturday morning attack it launched from Gaza.

*** A Biden administration official clarified On Thursday that the president and administration have not seen pictures or verified reports of children beheaded by Hamas, CNN's Donald Judd and Kayla Tausche reported.

***After Biden’s remarks on Wednesday, an administration official told CNN neither Biden nor the administration have seen pictures or confirmed reports of children or infants beheaded by Hamas.

***The official clarified that the president’s remarks were referring to public comments from media outlets and Israeli officials.

***Tal Heinrich, a spokesperson for Netanyahu, said Wednesday that babies and toddlers were found “decapitated” in the Kfar Aza settlement, located less than 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from northeastern Gaza.

***CNN could not independently verify that report and Hamas said media reports about attacking children were false.

*Zehra Nur Duz contributed to the story in Ankara.