BREAKING NEWS – New York City, New York – MSNBC host Joy Reid pressed Israeli official Mark Regev to defend the country’s tactics in a tense interview.

The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry has reported 18,000 people have died in the Gaza Strip since Israel started its bombing campaign in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack that took hundreds of hostages and killed 1,200 people.

“How has causing that much death and destruction, 80% of those dead estimated to be women and children, how does that achieve the goal of eradicating Hamas?” Reid asked.

“Joy, can I urge you please to be a little bit circumspect of those numbers. They are put out by the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza. And therefore, you have to presume that Hamas has reasons for playing with the numbers,” responded Regev.

Reid fired back. “Just because Hamas are a bunch of brutal killers and rapists, doesn’t mean they would also falsify data. I think you owe them a public apology.”