UNRWA: Israel’s Ban on Foreign Media in Gaza Amplifies Disinformation

Israel’s ongoing ban on international media in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip drives disinformation and intensifies the dehumanization of Palestinians, the head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned. His remarks come as waves of viral disinformation continue to target UNRWA online.

UNRWA Commissioner-General: Israel's Foreign Media Ban in Gaza Fuels Disinformation

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini warned on Thursday that Israel’s ongoing ban on international media in the Gaza Strip fuels disinformation and deepens the dehumanization of Palestinians.

“Since the war began 1.5 years ago, the Israeli authorities have banned the entry of international media to Gaza to report independently,” Lazzarini said in a statement. “This is fueling propaganda, disinformation, and the spread of dehumanization.”

He also expressed concern over growing efforts to discredit credible reports and eyewitness testimonies from humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza.

“Meanwhile, credible accounts & eye witness testimonies from relief organisations are being discredited + questioned,” he said.

“The free flow of information and independent reporting are key to facts and accountability during conflicts. Gaza should be no exception,” the UNRWA chief added.

Lazzarini stressed that the time is long overdue to allow international media into Gaza.

Lazzarini's statement underscores the urgent need for transparency and firsthand reporting from the besieged strip.

Gaza Journalist Death Toll Reaches 211 as Israeli Attacks Continue

The Government Media Office in Gaza announced on April 8 that the number of journalists killed in the Israeli barbaric war on the Gaza Strip has risen to 211 since the war began.

The latest deaths occurred when the Israeli military targeted a tent housing journalists near Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, killing three Palestinian media workers.

The office strongly condemned the systematic targeting, killing, and assassination of Palestinian journalists by Israeli occupation forces.

It urged international media bodies, including the International Federation of Journalists and the Federation of Arab Journalists, to denounce these ongoing attacks on press freedom in Gaza.

Officials also called on the international community and human rights organizations to hold Israel accountable, push for an end to the war, and take urgent steps to protect journalists operating in the besieged enclave.

They demanded legal action through international courts to prosecute those responsible for war crimes.

Israeli Disinformation Targets UNRWA Amid Media Blackout

In the absence of international media coverage from inside the war-torn Gaza Strip, Israeli disinformation campaigns have intensified efforts to discredit the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), aiming to strip the agency of its international credibility.

Since the onset of the war, Misbar’s investigative team has actively countered Israeli propaganda targeting UNRWA.

In a blog, Misbar's team revealed that these efforts to undermine the agency began well before the October 7 operation, which Israel used as a pretext to escalate its campaign against UNRWA.

The blog highlighted how systematic disinformation has consistently sought to associate the agency with “terrorism.”

On October 16, 2023, official Israeli social media accounts, including those run by Avichay Adraee and the Israeli military, circulated false claims accusing Hamas of stealing fuel and medical supplies from UNRWA warehouses in Gaza.

UNRWA issued an official statement debunking the claim, confirming that no such looting had taken place and that their warehouses remained secure.

In March 2024, Israel’s official account and the Israeli Occupation Forces alleged that more than 450 UNRWA employees, including four named individuals, were linked to military operations within designated “terrorist groups” in Gaza.

The accounts also shared voice recordings, claiming they captured conversations between two UNRWA staff members allegedly involved in the October 7 operation.

Misbar’s team investigated the recordings and uncovered multiple inconsistencies, raising serious doubts about their authenticity and the credibility of the claims.

On June 6, an Israeli airstrike hit a U.N.-run school sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza’s Al-Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 40 people.

The Israeli military claimed the school was being used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters, stating it had carried out a precise strike that eliminated eight members.

However, multiple sources discredited Israel’s account, shedding light on the misuse of images and names of the deceased to justify the attack. Misbar’s investigative team analyzed the aftermath and confirmed that most of the victims were women and children.

The Israeli military continues to circulate disinformation suggesting that Palestinian resistance fighters use UNRWA schools as launch sites for attacks, claims it frequently uses as a pretext to bomb these facilities, even without updating its justifications on official channels.

On June 7, 2024, Israeli aircraft struck the Asmaa UNRWA school in Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza. Less than a month later, on July 6, the Israeli Occupation Forces announced another strike, this time targeting alleged resistance fighters near the UNRWA-run Al-Jaouni School in central Gaza.

On September 21, 2024, an Israeli airstrike hit the Zeitoun School in Gaza City, which had been serving as a shelter for displaced families, killing at least 22 Palestinians.

The Israeli military justified all three attacks by claiming that Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters had used the schools and civilians as cover.

Misbar’s investigative team examined the aftermath of these attacks and found the Israeli military’s claims to be baseless, supported by reliable sources on the ground.

In October 2024, following the assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Israeli trolls spread disinformation, circulating a photo of a passport allegedly found with Sinwar, claiming it belonged to an UNRWA teacher named Hani Humeidan Suleiman Zourob.

These accounts used the false claim to accuse UNRWA of employing fighters linked to Palestinian resistance groups.

However, Misbar’s investigation revealed that Hani Zourob resides in Egypt and has no connections to Palestinian military factions, contrary to the claim.

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