"Controversy over Gaza death count as White House rejects Hamas figures"
The Washington Post has defended its use of numbers from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, despite the ministry's history of publishing disputed information. The Post cited "many experts" who consider the figures provided by the ministry to be reliable. However, other news organizations, including CNN and the New York Times, have since walked back their reliance on the ministry's claims. The controversy arose after the ministry falsely claimed that an Israeli airstrike hit a hospital and killed 500 civilians. President Biden has expressed skepticism about the reported death toll from the ministry, and the White House National Security Council has criticized the ministry's numbers as unreliable.