NBC Caught Pushing False Gaza Baby Death Story, Quietly Deletes Post

NBC News came under fire this week for publishing a misleading social media post citing a United Nations official’s claim that roughly 14,000 Palestinian babies were at risk of death within 48 hours if humanitarian aid did not reach Gaza.

The claim was retracted and revised without public acknowledgment after widespread criticism and a correction from the original source, the BBC.

The original post by NBC News, which was later deleted, read: “Around 14,000 babies could die in the next 48 hours if many more aid trucks do not reach Gaza, the U.N.’s humanitarian chief says.”

The photo that NBC News used isn’t even from Gaza, it’s from Yemen. pic.twitter.com/IAPWxU3XGz

— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) May 21, 2025

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The post drew intense criticism online over its accuracy and the framing of the humanitarian situation.

The quote referenced comments made by Tom Fletcher, the United Nations’ humanitarian chief, during an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today program.

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Fletcher’s statement was initially reported without clarification, prompting backlash from observers who pointed to the implausibility of such a specific and immediate death toll.

Subsequently, the BBC revised its reporting, adding a correction and clarification from a separate UN spokesperson.

The updated statement emphasized that the concern was over widespread malnutrition among infants in Gaza, not imminent death in the stated numbers.

The spokesperson explained that while the humanitarian situation remains severe, the figure referenced pertained to potential malnutrition, not immediate mortality.

Following the BBC’s correction, NBC News also amended its coverage.

The updated version of the post read: “Around 14,000 babies face severe malnutrition if a lot more aid trucks don’t reach the Palestinian enclave soon, UN aid group said.”

The outlet did not issue a public correction or apology, opting instead for a quiet revision.

BREAKING: NBC News deleted its original story and quietly posted a new one—no apology, no accountability.

They also switched out the photo of a Yemeni child and completely changed the headline. This is journalism today: lie, delete, and pretend it never happened. pic.twitter.com/hjtkM0KSC1

— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) May 21, 2025

The controversy surrounding the post was amplified by the timing.

The inaccurate claim was shared just one day before a reported shooting incident in Washington, D.C., in which two Israeli diplomats were allegedly targeted.

That attack is currently under investigation, and authorities have not released official motives.

Critics argued that the spread of unverified and inflammatory information by mainstream media outlets contributes to heightened tensions and misinformation surrounding the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The Gaza Health Ministry, which many media organizations continue to cite for casualty data, is controlled by Hamas, further raising questions about the reliability of figures used in reporting.

The incident underscores broader concerns about media coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, particularly in how casualty figures and humanitarian conditions are presented without verification.

News outlets across the U.S. and Europe have faced criticism for appearing to echo narratives aligned with one side of the conflict without thorough scrutiny.

While NBC News has yet to comment further, media analysts continue to point to this case as an example of how information can be quickly amplified and politicized, often before full context or corrections are made.

The original statement by the UN official has now been clarified, but its ripple effects remain evident in public discourse and across social media platforms.

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