President Biden has apologized to Muslim-American leaders for publicly questioning the accuracy of the death toll figures from Gaza, according to a new report. The apology comes after Biden openly questioned the number of casualties in Gaza, which are reported by the Hamas government, during a press conference on October 25. "I have no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed," Biden said, adding that he is sure innocents have been killed and it is a price of waging war.

The day after his comments, Biden met with five Muslim-American leaders, where he listened to their accounts of people they knew who were directly impacted by the conflict in the Middle East. According to the Washington Post, Biden told the group, "I'm sorry. I'm disappointed in myself." The Muslim-American leaders urged Biden to show more empathy to the Palestinians, and Biden allegedly hugged one of the participants at the end of the meeting.

The Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health has reported that over 14,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including many women and children, have been killed in the weeks-old war. Israeli officials, on the other hand, claim that more than 1,200 fatalities, mostly civilians, were suffered by Israel when Hamas launched a surprise attack on October 7.

Criticism and pressure have been mounting on Biden, not only from within his own administration but also from prominent Democrats who have publicly disagreed with his response to the war. While Biden has endorsed US support for Israel, he has also called for a pause in the fighting to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and for the release of hostages held by Hamas. "For weeks, I've been advocating to pause the fighting for two purposes: to increase the assistance getting into the Gaza civilians who need help and to facilitate the release of hostages," Biden said.

As part of a temporary peace agreement, Hamas and Israel have agreed to a four-day pause in fighting to facilitate a hostage-for-prisoner deal, which would free approximately 50 hostages and dozens of Palestinian prisoners. The White House has not yet responded to a request for comment on the matter.

The apology from President Biden to Muslim-American leaders comes after his public questioning of the death toll figures reported by Hamas. During a meeting with the leaders, Biden expressed his disappointment in himself and vowed to "do better." The meeting, initially scheduled for 30 minutes, lasted twice as long as Biden listened to the leaders describe the personal impact of the conflict on individuals they knew.

Biden's comments on October 25, where he openly questioned the accuracy of the casualty figures from Gaza, drew criticism from his own administration and prominent Democrats. Members of his administration, including a group of 20 staffers, called for a strategy to minimize civilian deaths in Gaza. Some Democrats have also voiced their disagreement with Biden's response to the war.

While Biden has expressed support for Israel, he has also pushed for a pause in the fighting to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas. He has emphasized the suffering of innocent children in Gaza and urged Israel to minimize civilian casualties.

The sentiment among Arab-Americans towards Biden appears to have soured since the outbreak of the war. A survey conducted last month showed that only 17.4% of Arab-Americans indicated they would vote for Biden in 2024. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has not ruled out imposing conditions on aid to Israel, a topic that was brought up during a press conference where Biden was asked about placing conditions on aid to Israel.