According to a report by The New York Times, Vice President Joe Biden apologized to Muslim-American leaders during a meeting on Thursday for his questioning of a Palestinian group’s records of casualties during the recent conflict in Gaza.
The report stated that the vice president’s remarks to the leaders of the Muslim Public Affairs Council and three other groups present at the meeting were “unequivocal and clearly expressed regret.”
The vice president, who traveled to Israel in June to meet with the leaders of both Israel and Hamas, said during an impromptu press conference in June that “Hamas is responsible for thousands of innocent deaths” during the conflict in Gaza.
While Biden’s comments at the time were meant to condemn Hamas for initiating the violence, his statement was later challenged by a leader of the Palestinian group who said that the figures were wrong.
In his apology to the Muslim-American leaders, Biden expressed regret over his remarks and said that he “should not have cast doubt on the accuracy of the Palestinians’ civilian casualty estimate.”
The Muslim-American leaders present at the meeting reportedly accepted Biden’s apology and said that they appreciated his willingness to recognize the challenges facing the Palestinian population in Gaza.
