THE United Nations accused Israel of “buying ads on Google to block users from giving donations” to the agency responsible for supporting Palestinian refugees.

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) head Philippe Lazzarini said in a post on the X social media platform on Saturday that Israel’s defamation of the agency has harmed its reputation and has put the lives of its staff at risk. 

He said: “These deliberate efforts to spread misinformation should stop and be investigated.”

He also called for more regulations of social media platforms to combat disinformation and hate speech.

Mr Lazzarini said: “The spread of misinformation & disinformation continues to be used as a weapon in the war in Gaza.”

UNRWA facilities have come under frequent attacks from the Israelis, killing 212 of its staff members and hitting at least 70 per cent of its schools.

Last month, the UN denounced Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer after he described Mr Lazzarini as a “terrorist sympathiser.” 

The UN slammed the comments as “reprehensible” and warned that they jeopardise Mr Lazzarini’s safety.

Earlier this year, Israel alleged that some of the agency’s staff participated in the Hamas-led October 7 attacks on Israel, leading more than a dozen countries to suspend funding.  

An independent review found that Israel had not provided credible evidence for its accusations and most have since reinstated funding.