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'Doesn't add up': Internet seeks verification of viral report that Hamas 'beheaded 40 babies' in Israel

Viral report about '40 beheaded babies' was first reported by Israeli-state sponsored i24 Network, but there has been no official confirmation

KFAR AZA, ISRAEL: Several internet users took to social media pleading authorities to verify the viral report that Hamas allegedly "beheaded 40 babies" during its surprise attack on Israel on October 7. 

The unverified claim was reportedly first made by Israeli reserve soldier, David Ben Zion, during an interview with reporter Nicole Zedek of the Israeli state-sponsored i24 network, The Grayzone reported. 

Zedek's report featuring Zion amassed over 11 million views on X, formerly Twitter, and the unconfirmed claim rapidly spread across Western media networks. 

Speculations further intensified after Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about children being hurt during Hamas' attack and President Joe Biden reiterated the claim about '40 beheaded babies' before the White House walked back on his statement. 

Further confusion regarding the lack of verification arose after Israeli journalist Oren Ziv alleged that they did not see "any evidence" of the claimed incident while on a visit to the Kfar Aza kibbutz. 

David Ben Zion claimed Palestinian militants 'cut heads of children' 

While speaking to Zedek, Zion claimed that chidren were beheaded during Hamas' attack on Israel. "We walked door to door, we killed a lot of terrorists," he began. 

"They are very bad. They cut heads of children, they cut heads of women. But we are stronger than them," Zion alleged.

"We know that they are animals but we found that they don’t have any heart," he claimed.

The soldier also claimed that Hamas killed families and babies while speaking to the BBC. Although he mentioned that some of the victims were decapitated, he did not specify who was beheaded during this interview.

"They killed them and cut some of their heads, it's a dreadful thing to see," he allegedly told the outlet.

Following Zion's statement, Zedek, who shared a live report from Kfar Aza, said, "About 40 babies were taken out on gurneys… Cribs overturned, strollers left behind, doors left wide open."

After her report went viral, the reporter clarified that "soldiers told me they believe 40 babies/children were killed."

"The exact death toll is still unknown as the military continues to go house to house and find more Israeli casualties," she mentioned. 

Netizens plead for verification on report of '40 beheaded babies' in Israel

Amid conflicting and uncomfirmed reports about 40 babies being 'beheaded' in Israel during Hamas' attack, social media users pleaded authorities to verify the brutal news. 

"The only question is did Hamas spare children or did they deliberately kill them? That’s the only question that matters. Show us proof that they did not kill innocent children and families first," one asked. 

"Distorted narratives do a disservice to the genuine suffering of countless Israelis facing terror attacks. Solidarity with Israel, a nation striving for peace amidst adversity. Let's amplify the truth and stand against misleading narratives," one said. 

"Which do we believe," an user asked about the conflicting narratives. 

"If the war is already so heartbreaking and devastating why do they have to create fake stories like this to get us onboard?" a fourth user questioned. 

One said, "Claims and counterclaims in conflict situations are not uncommon. It's crucial to rely on verified sources for accurate information", while another asked, "Is there proof babies were slaughtered?"

"Why isn’t anyone asking where did they get the babies from? Did they raid the delivery room of a hospital? Where do you get 40 babies from? I haven’t seen one video with parents making an effort to get their babies back … It just doesn’t add up for me personally…," one user stated.

What did officials say about the '40 beheaded babies' claim? 

According to the Daily Mail, Israeli Defence Forces spokesman Jonathan Conricus claimed that a coroner who witnessed the aftermath of the attack after visiting a kibbutz close to the Gaza Strip saw the children's bodies and confirmed how they died.

"I admit it took us some time to really understand and to verify that report and it was hard to believe that even Hamas could perform such a barbaric act," he stated.

"I think we can now say, with relative confidence, that this is what Hamas did... there were bodies scattered everywhere, mutilated," the IDF spokesman alleged.

However, another IDF spokesman Maj Doron Spielman reportedly told NBC News that he could not confirm how many babies were beheaded during Hamas' attack.

"What I can confirm is there were enormous witness testimonies along with evidence found in the field that there were children that were grotesquely murdered and their body parts were removed," Spielman said. 

Meanwhile, CNN correspondent, Hadas Gold, said that they received a report from the Israeli Prime Minister's office that babies were beheaded. The report was even shared by the State of Israel's official X account with the caption, "They decapitated babies and toddlers."

However, the network was quick to walk back on the report, writing, "Israel cannot confirm the specific claim that babies were beheaded in Hamas' attack, an official says, contradicting previous public statement." 

In a statement made to the publication, an unnamed Israeli official said, "There have been cases of Hamas militants carrying out beheadings and other ISIS-style atrocities. However, we cannot confirm if the victims were men or women, soldiers or civilians, adults or children."

What is Hamas saying?

Meanwhile, Hamas on Wednesday denied the allegations. Izzat al-Risheq, a senior official and spokesperson for the Islamist militant group, said that the media had “spread lies about our Palestinian people and the resistance claiming that members of the Palestinian resistance beheaded children and attacked women with no evidence to support such claims and lies.”