Hamas provided no evidence to back up the false claim, or for its claim that hundreds had been killed. The initial reports “relied too heavily on claims by Hamas, and did not make clear that those claims could not immediately be verified,” it said. In the weeks since, Hamas has continued to rain rockets on southern and central Israel, causing more deaths. Israel declared its intention to destroy Hamas, beginning with intensive strikes on terror infrastructure in Gaza while urging residents of northern Gaza to evacuate ahead of an expected ground offensive. The figures issued by the terror group, widely cited in international media, cannot be independently verified and are believed to include its own terrorists and gunmen, and the victims of the blast at the Gaza City hospital.

Source: New York Times October 23, 2023 16:28 UTC