00:00 If the casualty numbers coming out of Gaza sound horrifying,
00:03 the reality may be even worse.
00:05 That's according to Barbara Leaf,
00:07 Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs
00:09 in the Biden administration.
00:11 Leaf was testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee
00:13 on Wednesday.
00:14 It is very difficult for any of us
00:16 to assess what the rate of casualties are.
00:19 We think they're very high, frankly.
00:21 And it could be that they're even higher
00:23 than are being cited.
00:24 The Gaza Health Ministry says that recent Israeli attacks
00:27 have killed over 10,000 people in Gaza and counting.
00:30 That number includes both civilians and combatants.
00:33 President Biden himself has expressed skepticism
00:35 over those figures.
00:37 I have no notion that the Palestinians
00:39 are telling the truth about how many people are killed.
00:41 The Biden administration is resisting calls for a ceasefire,
00:44 though they are publicly advocating a humanitarian pause.
Comments