Quds - Lazzarini: Israel buying Google ads to discredit UNRWA

Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, has said that Israel is purchasing advertisements on Google to discredit the agency and prevent users from donating. In a post on X on Saturday, Lazzarini stated that Israel's actions are part of a broader campaign to undermine and defame UNRWA. "As part of its campaign to undermine & discredit UNRWA, the Government of Israel has been buying ads on Google to block users from giving donations to the Agency and undertake a defamation campaign", Lazzarini said in a post on the social media platform X.

The spread of misinformation & disinformation continues to be used as a weapon in the war in #Gaza.

As part of its campaign to undermine & discredit @UNRWA, the Government of Israel has been buying ads on @Google to block users from giving donations to the Agency + undertake a…
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) August 31, 2024

He emphasized that these actions not only damage the reputation of UNRWA but, more critically, endanger the lives of the agency's staff. Lazzarini called for an immediate halt to these deliberate efforts to spread misinformation and urged for an investigation into the matter. He pointed out that misinformation continues to be weaponized in the ongoing offensive on Gaza. Lazzarini also highlighted that companies, including social media platforms, are profiting from the spread of misinformation. He called for stronger regulations to combat disinformation and hate speech on these platforms, stressing that UNRWA is the largest humanitarian organization responding to the crisis in Gaza. UNRWA has faced a systematic campaign of defamation from Israeli authorities following claims that some of its employees were involved in attacks on settlements near Gaza on October 7, 2023. These accusations led 18 countries and the European Union to suspend funding for the agency. However, after UN investigations proved these claims false, some of these nations and organizations have resumed their financial support for UNRWA. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1949, UNRWA is mandated to provide assistance and protection to Palestinian refugees in its five areas of operation: Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. Amid unconditional US support, Israel is conducting a genocide in Gaza, resulting in over 134,000 casualties, most of whom are children and women, and leaving more than 10,000 missing.

Lazzarini: Israel buying Google ads to discredit UNRWA

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