The '40 Beheaded Babies' Report
■ The claim
Outlets reported that Hamas had killed and beheaded about 40 babies in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023.
■ What actually happened
The figure traced to an i24NEWS correspondent's on-scene report and spread fast, at times in headlines stated as fact. On October 12 an Israeli official told CNN the government could not confirm that babies had been beheaded. The White House also said President Biden had not seen the photos he had described. CNN's Sara Sidner apologized for saying on air that the prime minister's office had confirmed the beheadings. Hamas's October 7 atrocities, including the killing of children, are well documented. The specific count of 40 beheaded babies was never corroborated.
■ The proof
An Israeli official told CNN (Oct. 12, 2023) the government could not confirm the beheading of babies, and the White House walked back Biden's claim. No official source ever confirmed the figure of 40.
■ Original reporting
- WJLA (Sinclair): At least 40 babies killed, beheaded, reports sayhttps://wjla.com/news/nation-world/at-least-40-babies-killed-beheaded-in-israeli-kibbutz-outside-gaza-reports-say-israel-palestine-hamas-terrorists-terrorism-invasion-middle-east-conflict-attack
■ Corrections, findings & records
- CNN Wire via ABC17: Israeli official says government cannot confirm beheaded babieshttps://abc17news.com/?p=1229403
- Al Jazeera: White House walks back Biden's claimhttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/12/white-house-walks-back-bidens-claim-he-saw-children-beheaded-by-hamas
- MEAWW: CNN's Sara Sidner apologizes over unverified reporthttps://meaww.com/who-is-sara-sidner-cnn-reporter-apologizes-over-unverified-report-on-beheaded-babies
- PolitiFact: What we know about 'beheaded babies'https://www.politifact.com/article/2023/nov/21/israel-hamas-war-what-we-know-about-beheaded-babie/
■ Wayback Machine copies
Stories sometimes get edited after publication. These links open the Internet Archive's earliest snapshot of each original.
- Archive copy: WJLA (Sinclair): At least 40 babies killed, beheaded, reports sayhttps://web.archive.org/web/2/https://wjla.com/news/nation-world/at-least-40-babies-killed-beheaded-in-israeli-kibbutz-outside-gaza-reports-say-israel-palestine-hamas-terrorists-terrorism-invasion-middle-east-conflict-attack
■ Grade
UNPROVEN: Reported as established fact but never corroborated. Not proven false, either. How we grade →