U.S. State Department Says Gaza Death Toll Could Be Higher Than Reported by Hamas officials. Really!

Secretary of State Blinken has not yet fired this employee?

It seems very obvious that the high casualty numbers provided by Hamas officials are most likely bogus! Way too many e.g. media reporters etc. repeat these numbers without any questions!

"Asked at Wednesday’s House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing about skepticism over the numbers released by the Gaza Health Ministry, Barbara Leaf warned that the numbers may fall short. “We think they’re very high, frankly, and it could be that they’re even higher than are being cited,” said the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. She added that in times of war it is difficult to get an accurate assessment. “We’ll know only after the guns fall silent.” ..."

State Department Says Gaza Death Toll Could Be Higher Than Reported: The U.S. State Department’s highest official for Middle East affairs said that the civilian death toll in Gaza is likely higher than estimates suggest, noting that skepticism over the integrity of the statistics released by health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave may undercut the scale of the hu