Commissioner-general says Israeli authorities has undertaken a defamation marketing campaign in opposition to the UN company.
The UN company for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has accused the Israeli authorities of “shopping for advertisements on Google to dam customers from giving donations” to the company.
UNRWA Commissioner-Common Philippe Lazzarini mentioned in a submit on X that Israel’s makes an attempt to defame the company each hurt its fame and put the lives of its workers in danger.
“These deliberate efforts to unfold misinformation ought to cease + be investigated,” Lazzarini wrote on Saturday, calling for extra laws for corporations, together with social media platforms, to fight disinformation and hate speech.
The unfold of misinformation & disinformation continues for use as a weapon within the battle in #Gaza.
As a part of its marketing campaign to undermine & discredit @UNRWA, the Authorities of Israel has been shopping for advertisements on @Google to dam customers from giving donations to the Company + undertake a…
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) August 31, 2024
“The unfold of misinformation & disinformation continues for use as a weapon within the battle in Gaza,” he wrote.
Israel has campaigned for years in opposition to UNRWA, the primary organisation delivering humanitarian support to Palestinians within the occupied Palestinian territory and offering companies for Palestinian refugees in different international locations since 1949, claiming it has connections with “terrorists” and lobbying for its closure.
Final month, the UN denounced an Israeli authorities spokesperson after he described Lazzarini as a “terrorist sympathiser”.
David Mencer had taken goal at Lazzarini in a videotaped speech, claiming the company had been deeply infiltrated by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The UN mentioned the feedback had been “reprehensible” and warned that they jeopardise Lazzarini’s security.
Earlier this yr, Israel alleged that a number of the company’s workers participated within the Hamas-led October 7 assaults on Israel, main greater than a dozen international donors to suspend support.
A UN-authorised unbiased evaluation discovered that Israel had not offered credible proof for its accusations and most donors have since reinstated funding.
Israeli assaults in Gaza have continuously focused UNRWA services, killing 212 of its workers members and hitting at the very least 70 p.c of its colleges, based on the organisation.
At the least 40,691 individuals have been killed and 94,060 wounded in Israel’s battle on Gaza, based on based on the Gaza Well being Ministry. At the least 1,139 individuals had been killed within the Hamas-led assaults on Israel, based on an Al Jazeera tally primarily based on official Israeli statistics.