FACT CHECK: Did John Kirby Claim There Are No Civilian Casualties In Gaza?
A post shared on social media purports that National Security spokesman John Kirby claimed there has been no civilians killed in Gaza.
White House National Security Council spokesperson, John Kirby:
“The number of civilian casualties is ZERO.”
So the corpses of the 12k children we’ve seen are what? Terrorists? Imaginary?
The US is a fucking swamp.
— Tiberius (@ecomarxi) January 28, 2024
Verdict: Misleading
The clip is taken out of context. Kirby was stating that the “right” number of casualties should be zero.
Fact Check:
The US Navy shot down three Iranian drones and ballistic missiles that were launched recently from areas in Yemen controlled by the Houthis, The Hill reported. The USS Carney shot down the drones and reported that no injuries occurred in the attack.
A post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows Kirby during a press conference claiming no civilians were killed in Gaza. The post shows Kirby in the Briefing Room addressing press behind a podium.
“The right number of civilian casualties is zero,” he says in the video. “But, there is no indication that we’ve seen that validates a claim of genocidal intent or action by the Israeli Defense Forces.”
The caption reads, “White House National Security Council spokesperson, John Kirby: ‘The number of civilian casualties is ZERO.’ So the corpses of the 12k children we’ve seen are what? Terrorists? Imaginary? The US is a fucking swamp.”
The post is fabricated. In the context of the press conference Kirby state was saying no civilians should never be killed during a military conflict. Kirby argued that while civilians have been killed, there is no evidence of “genocidal intent or action.”
Kirby acknowledged the deaths of civilians before in press conferences. Saying, “It is not the Israeli Defense Force’s strategy to kill innocent people. It’s happening, I admit that. Each one is a tragedy.”
This comes after UN court orders Israel to take measures to prevent genocide, The Associated Press reported. The outlet also reported 25,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. (RELATED: Houthi Rebels Claim To Hit U.S. Warship In Red Sea)
This is not the first time misinformation has been shared online. Check Your Fact debunked a video claiming to be a warship off the coast of Yemen.
