The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has accused the Israeli government of “purchasing ads on Google to block users from donating” to the organization. UNRWA’s Commissioner, Philippe Lazzarini, expressed this in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that Israel’s attempts to smear the agency are damaging its reputation and endangering the lives of its employees. “These deliberate efforts to spread misinformation must stop and be investigated,” Lazzarini wrote on Saturday, calling for more regulations on companies, including social media platforms, to combat misinformation and hate speech. He added, “The proliferation of misinformation and disinformation continues to be weaponized in the war in Gaza.”

Israel has campaigned against UNRWA for years, as it is the primary organization providing humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories and offering services to Palestinian refugees in other countries since 1949. The Israeli government contends that UNRWA has connections to “terrorists” and has lobbied for the organization’s closure.

Last month, the United Nations condemned a spokesman for the Israeli government after he referred to Lazzarini as a “terrorist sympathizer.” David Mencer attacked Lazzarini during a video statement, claiming that UNRWA was deeply infiltrated by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The UN labeled the comments as “reprehensible” and warned that they could jeopardize Lazzarini’s safety.

Earlier this year, Israel accused some UNRWA employees of participating in the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, which led to the suspension of more than a dozen international donations. An independent review authorized by the UN found that Israel had not presented credible evidence to support its allegations, and most donors have since resumed their support.

According to UNRWA, Israeli attacks in Gaza have often targeted the agency’s facilities, resulting in the deaths of 212 of its staff members, with at least 70 percent of its schools being affected. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, at least 40,691 people have been killed and 94,060 injured in Israel’s war against Gaza. Al Jazeera reports that at least 1,139 people were killed during the attacks led by Hamas against Israel.