NEW YORK, (PIC)
The Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for the Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Phillippe Lazzarini, said on Saturday the Israeli government is purchasing Google ads to discredit the agency, and discourage donations.
“As part of its campaign to undermine and distort the reputation of UNRWA, the government of Israel is buying Google ads in an effort to block users from donating to the agency and to carry out a defamation campaign against the UN agency,” he added.
Lazzarini wrote on X, “this does not only harm the reputation of the agency, but also, and most importantly, puts the lives of our employees at risk.”
Lazzarini called for an end to “deliberate efforts” to spread misinformation and urged for an investigation into the matter. He also criticized companies, including social media platforms, for profiting from the dissemination of disinformation, underscoring the need for stronger regulations to combat these practices.
“The spread of misinformation and disinformation continues to be used as a weapon in the war in Gaza,” Lazzarini stated.
He stressed the need for more regulations to combat misinformation and hate speech on these platforms, noting that “UNRWA is the largest humanitarian organization that responds to the crisis in Gaza.”
Israel has long sought the closure of UNRWA, which is the only UN agency specifically mandated to address the basic needs of Palestinian refugees. Established by a UN resolution in 1949, UNRWA provides assistance and protection to Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the occupied West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.
