US President Joe Biden has stated that he has “no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using” for the death toll in Gaza, where the health ministry says over 6,500 have been killed in Israeli attacks, Reuters reports.

Biden was asked at a White House press conference whether the death count, which the ministry says includes some 2,700 children, meant Israel was ignoring US appeals to reduce civilian deaths in its bombardment of the coastal enclave.

“What they say to me is I have no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed. I’m sure innocents have been killed, and it’s the price of waging a war,” Biden said.

“(The) Israelis should be incredibly careful to be sure that they’re focusing on going after the folks that (are) propagating this war against Israel. And it’s against their interest when that doesn’t happen,” Biden added.

“But I have no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using.”

Biden did not say why he was skeptical of the Palestinian figures.