The commissioner general claims that the Israeli government has launched a smear campaign against the UN agency.
The United Nations refugee agency (UNRWA) has accused the Israeli government of “buying ads on Google to prevent users from donating” to the agency.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a message posted on X that Israel’s attempts to smear the agency harm its reputation and endanger the lives of its staff.
“These deliberate efforts to spread misinformation must stop and be investigated,” Lazzarini wrote Saturday, calling for more regulations for companies, including social media platforms, to combat misinformation and hate speech.
The spread of misinformation and disinformation continues to be used as a weapon in war #Gaza.
As part of its campaign to undermine and discredit @UNRWAThe Israeli government bought ads on @Google prevent users from donating to the Agency + initiate a…
– Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) August 31, 2024
“The spread of false information and disinformation continues to be used as a weapon in the war in Gaza,” he wrote.
Israel has campaigned for years against UNRWA, the main organization that provides humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories and has provided services to Palestinian refugees in other countries since 1949, claiming it has links to “terrorists” and pushing for its closure.
Last month, the UN denounced an Israeli government spokesman after he described Lazzarini as a “terrorist sympathizer.”
David Mencer had targeted Lazzarini in a videotaped speech, saying the agency had been deeply infiltrated by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The UN called the comments “reprehensible” and warned that they put Lazzarini’s safety at risk.
Earlier this year, Israel alleged that some of the agency’s staff participated in the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel, leading more than a dozen international donors to suspend their support.
An independent investigation authorized by the UN concluded that Israel had failed to provide credible evidence to support its accusations and most donors have since restored their funding.
Israeli attacks in Gaza have frequently targeted UNRWA facilities, killing 212 staff members and hitting at least 70 percent of its schools, the organization said.
At least 40,691 people have been killed and 94,060 injured in Israel’s war on Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. At least 1,139 people have been killed in Hamas attacks on Israel, according to an Tel Aviv Tribune tally based on official Israeli statistics.