A heated debate was sparked after the United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said that 14,000 babies in Gaza would die within 48 hours unless aid reached them. Fletcher cited the figure during a BBC interview on Tuesday as he described what he said was a growing humanitarian disaster facing Palestinians,

An estimated 14,000 babies could die without essential aid according to the U.N. as Israel military operations intensify.

The UN later cited a report that said there could be 14,100 cases of malnutrition in children in Gaza between April 2025 and March 2026, a timeframe of one year not two days.