Editor’s note: The Jerusalem Post has now claimed to have seen images of “burnt and decapitated babies.”
Viral headlines about Hamas militants beheading Israeli babies have not been confirmed, despite what you very likely have read on every major media outlet in America.
And let’s get this out of the way off the bat – It doesn’t matter how babies, children, mothers, the elderly, or any age range of civilians were slaughtered by Hamas terrorists. Their actions were an abomination no matter the level of depravity.
But the truth still matters in some circles. And the White House, prominent Democrats, and the media all came out and insisted the story of beheaded babies had been “confirmed,” some even saying that they had seen the images with their own eyes.
The story, it seems, began with an Israeli News organization known as i24NEWS, which reported on Tuesday morning that the Al-Qassam Brigades, “beheaded many Israeli babies.”
Similarly, a correspondent of The Independent, Bel Trew, posted about decapitated children, but later clarified her X social media post and added, “We had not been shown the bodies.”
You were lied to with no apology
As a result, there were millions of people that called for genocide yesterday
I can’t even put into words how angry I am at the people that spread this story without a moment of thought pic.twitter.com/ye8wmo8e0P
— Liberty Lockdown w/ Clint Russell (@LibertyLockPod) October 11, 2023
Reports Of Beheaded Babies Have Not Been Confirmed
Stone Cold Steve Austin always went by the mantra of DTA – Don’t Trust Anybody. The phrase is a good one to keep in mind as we watch the war in the Middle East unfold, and trigger-happy politicians and media personalities try to coax us ever closer into a worldwide conflict.
In addition to Trew’s clarification, the Turkish news agency Anadolu almost immediately reported that the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) would not or could not confirm the claim.
#BREAKING Israeli army tells Anadolu that they have no information confirming allegations that ‘Hamas beheaded babies’ pic.twitter.com/fQJA7ui9bE
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) October 10, 2023
Guardian reporter Bethan McKernan posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that she was “horrified” over the headlines circulating about beheaded babies when the information had not been confirmed.
“Yes, many children were murdered. Yes, there were several beheadings in the attack,” she wrote. “This claim, however, is unverified and totally irresponsible.”
A French reporter based in Jerusalem, Samuel Forey, wrote on X that he “verified with two emergency services … that have collected many corpses,” both of which “affirm that they have not witnessed such atrocities, without saying that it did not exist.”
Again, it doesn’t matter how many innocent babies died in these Hamas terrorist attacks. And we’re at a stage where it might yet end up being true – it just hasn’t been confirmed. Their actions were heinous and the terrorists should held accountable for their war crimes.
But if one is ever to trust officials, authorities, and the media again, the media needs to get confirmation of these things before reporting on them.
Especially when we all saw reports once upon a time about Weapons of Mass Destruction being spread by irresponsible media outlets as a means to glorify or promote the Iraq war effort.
There are even more recent examples of the fog of war leading to unconfirmed reports that circulated widely before being confirmed, then later proven to be fake news.
Anybody remember Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky saying that he needs “ammuntion, not a ride”? Yea, fake news. The Ghost of Kyiv was never real. That story about a defiant group of 13 Ukrainian border guards defending Snake Island in the Black Sea who reportedly told a Russian warship to “go f*** yourself” after being ordered to surrender? Also not accurate.
“What difference does it make if it was 1 or 40!?”
“Even if it was zero they still k!lled kids!!”
The outrage was the point. They want you irrational so that you’ll sign off on equally atrocious acts of reprisal.
Stop excusing war propaganda just because it fits your narrative
— Liberty Lockdown w/ Clint Russell (@LibertyLockPod) October 11, 2023
Biden Insisted He Saw It With His Own Eyes
President Joe Biden, despite the story of beheaded babies having never been confirmed, told reporters that he had seen proof with his very own eyes.
“It matters that Americans see what’s happening,” he told reporters. “I mean, I’ve been doing this a long time. I never really thought that I would see – have confirmed pictures of terrorists beheading children.”
BIDEN: “I never really thought that I would see…have confirmed pictures of terrorists beheading children” pic.twitter.com/J7doFdeKn2
— FJ (@Natsecjeff) October 11, 2023
But it hadn’t been confirmed, as you’re aware, and a White House spokesperson later, according to the Washington Post, “clarified that US officials and the President have not seen pictures or confirmed such reports independently.”
The White House walked back this claim. What’s going on? You’d think they would confirm it before the president says it. https://t.co/25fCewrZK9 pic.twitter.com/N6jiG48lej
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) October 12, 2023
Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY), former chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, while flanked by other Democrat lawmakers who parroted his comments, insisted classified intelligence had confirmed that babies were in fact beheaded.
BREAKING: Rep. Gregory Meeks confirms decapitation of babies during interview on CNN a few minutes ago. “We can’t stand as human beings to allow inhuman acts like this to exist by Hamas”
— Wayne DuPree (@WayneDupreeShow) October 11, 2023
The journalists who claimed that the accounts were confirmed are many. They all seem to be basing that ‘confirmation’ on other reports.
CNN reporter confirming on site that Israeli civilians were decapitated by Hamas. https://t.co/qCCpEkLo2w
— Yair Rosenberg (@Yair_Rosenberg) October 10, 2023
@CBSNews learned that Israel body recovery teams have discovered beheaded babies and children in kibbutzim in southern Israel
— Norah O’Donnell ?? (@NorahODonnell) October 10, 2023
French journalist at major outlet confirms the beheading of babies at a kibutz in Israel at the hands of Hamas, saying she has seen images of the atrocities and has cross-checked them, and her colleagues saw the bodies as well.
Horrific https://t.co/SLcSASDpHE
— Alicia Smith (@Alicia_Smith19) October 10, 2023
The fact that this has to be discussed speaks to the horror and depravity of Hamas’ actions. It could end up being accurate.
Regardless of confirmation or not, over 1,300 Israelis were killed in the attacks. 25 Americans were also killed, with another 17 unaccounted for.
A sickening attack by any measure.
Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
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