President Biden said Wednesday he has seen "confirmed pictures of terrorists beheading children" in southern Israel following reports that up to 40 babies were butchered over the weekend near the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip — but the White House later walked back the commander-in-chief's claim.

"I never really thought that I would see and have confirmed pictures of terrorists beheading children. I never thought I'd ever — anyway," Biden, 80, told leaders of Jewish groups at the White House on Wednesday.

But neither the president nor US officials have seen images or heard independently confirmed reports of beheaded children, a White House spokesperson later clarified, according to the Washington Post.