‘Those Numbers Are Provided By Hamas!’: Mehdi Hasan Gets Into Shouting Match With Israeli Official

MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan was called out by an Israeli official for peddling Hamas data talking points, sparking a shouting match between the two.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s adviser, Mark Regev, joined Hasan Thursday to discuss the ongoing war in Israel. Hasan then cited a figure from the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Health Ministry that 11,000 Palestinians are dead, including 4,000 children. Those numbers have not been verified.

Hasan argued that Hamas, in past conflicts, has reported a death tolls that matched Israeli military death tolls and were deemed credible by the United Nations. The New York Times reported that while the United Nations and human rights organization cite the ministry’s death tolls and say previous ones have been consistent, they cannot actually confirm the figures.

“Will you allow me to challenge that, please? Can I just challenge that?” Regev interjected.

“Briefly.”

“I’ll try to be as brief as you are, Sir. Those numbers are provided by Hamas. There’s no independent verification. And secondly, more importantly, you have no idea how many of them are Hamas terrorists, combatants, and how many are civilians. Hamas would have you believe that they’re all civilians, that they’re all children.

“And here we have to say something that isn’t said enough. Hamas, until now, we’re destroying their military machine, and with that, we’re eroding their control,” Regev continued. “But up until now, they’ve been in control of the Gaza Strip. And as a result, they control all the images coming out of Gaza. Have you seen one picture of a single dead Hamas terrorist in the fighting in Gaza? Not one. Is that by accident or is that because Hamas can control– Hamas can control the information?”

“You asked me a question and you said you would be brief. I haven’t. You’re right. But I have seen lots of children with my own lying eyes being pulled from the rubble,” Hasan said. (RELATED: FACT CHECK: Image Of Woman In Destroyed Home Was Not Taken In Gaza)

“Because they’re the pictures Hamas wants you to see! Exactly my point!”

“But they’re also your government has killed. You accept that, right? You’ve killed children? Or do you dent that?”

“No, I do not. I do not. I do not. First of all, you don’t know how those people died, those children.”

The two began to talk over one another with Hasan conceding “we shouldn’t blindly believe anything Hamas says.”

“But why should we believe what your government says either?” Hasan pressed, citing a video circulating on Twitter which claims to show an IDF spokesperson citing a calendar as a terrorist document.

Regev then jumped in to say that the Israel military is willing to accept mistakes on their behalf, saying that the nation had to revise their casualty count down by approximately 200 victims because they had “overestimated.” Regev also said some of the bodies discovered that had been burned actually belonged to Hamas terrorists.

“When we make a mistake, we admit it,” Regev said. “Why does that give you permission to accept Hamas’ numbers?”

“Because the entire U.N. and the human rights community and the American intelligence community on Friday said they trust those numbers. But you’re dodging my question, Mark,” Hasan said before again pressing Regev to answer for the aforementioned video.

Regev said he was unfamiliar with the incident before turning his attention back to Hamas and their alleged data points.

“But there’s a difference between making an honest mistake and between Hamas, that deliberately exaggerates numbers to suit its propaganda purposes. There’s a huge difference.”

Hasan then turned the focus toward a tweet from another Israeli official who posted footage from a Lebanese short film but claimed it was video evidence of Palestinians faking their own injuries.

“Is that not propaganda?”

“Once again, I understand that that was also a mistake,” Regev said, offering to speak to his colleague about the post.