CNN commentator and activist Van Jones has apologized after receiving backlash for comments he made about videos showing Palestinian casualties from the Israel-Hamas war.

During his recent appearance on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Jones referred to the disturbing online clips of dead children in Gaza as part of a “disinformation campaign” led by Iran and Qatar. Onlookers immediately condemned the remarks, and not long after, Jones apologized. 

He addressed the controversy on X (formerly Twitter) after the episode aired, posting “I made a comment on Real Time with Bill Maher about the war in Gaza that was insensitive and hurtful. I apologize.” 

He added, “The suffering of the people of Gaza — especially the children — is not a punch line. I’m deeply sorry it came across that way. What’s happening to children in Gaza is heartbreaking. As a father, I can’t begin to imagine the pain their parents are enduring, unable to protect their kids from unimaginable harm.” 

Seemingly in an attempt to make a joke, on the show, Jones quipped: “If you open your phone, and all you see is dead Gaza baby, dead Gaza baby, dead Gaza baby, Diddy. Dead Gaza baby, dead Gaza baby… That’s basically your whole feed.”

Following the backlash, he called for peace, writing, “I’m praying and working for an immediate end to this war — and for peace and safety for every family caught in its path. I’m truly sorry for the pain my words caused to people who are already suffering more than anyone should.”

After posting the apology, some users still took the opportunity to point out the deep harm in his remarks. He responded to one commenter, “Yeah, I messed up on this one. And I’m sorry. I was trying to raise awareness about foreign adversaries creating chaos online – which is undermining democracy everywhere. But what I said was easily misunderstood, and the way I said it was flat-out insensitive.”

According to the Associated Press (AP), more than 66,000 people have died in Gaza since the start of the war two years ago.