On March 19, the Haaretz newspaper released a detailed report uncovering Israel's involvement in funding a campaign that operates over 500 fabricated accounts across various social media platforms. The primary aim of this orchestrated effort is to discredit the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), especially in Western countries and the United States. This is achieved through a sophisticated network of bogus accounts that disseminate and amplify content from three specific news outlets: The Moral Alliance, UnFold Magazine, and Non-Agenda, thereby undermining the agency's reputation.
According to the report compiled by the Israeli watchdog organization FakeReporter, these news platforms do not engage in spreading fake or misleading news. Instead, they focus on disseminating Israeli news and reports that allege the involvement of UNRWA employees in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood or their association with entities that support the Palestinian cause. These platforms strategically aim their content at younger audiences, with a particular focus on influencing decision-makers within the U.S. Democratic Party.
A Campaign Targeting U.S. Decision-Makers To Promote Israeli Allegations
The campaign strategically utilizes the aforementioned three news websites to publish content that aligns with Israeli propaganda efforts. Subsequently, it transitions to its second stage, where approximately 500 fake accounts are employed to promote these reports, giving them a false sense of credibility.
Since the beginning of the Israeli war against Gaza on October 7, 2023, the number of posts shared by these fake accounts across social media platforms like Instagram, X, and Facebook has exceeded 85,000.
The report notes that the majority of these accounts belong to individuals with dark skin and African roots. This strategy aims to resonate with the liberal and Democratic American audience, thereby influencing public opinion in support of the Palestinian cause.
Those accounts became active notably after Israel claimed the involvement of UNRWA employees in assisting Hamas to succeed in the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. As a result of these claims, many Western countries halted their funding for UNRWA. Below are some of these claims that were debunked by Misbar.
Israeli Accounts Share Misleading Information About UNRWA’s Support for Hamas
Following Israel's allegations and accusations against Palestinian UNRWA employees for purportedly assisting Hamas in the October 7 Operation Al-Aqsa Flood last year, Israeli officials' social media accounts initiated a campaign to spread misleading information aimed at ending the operations of the humanitarian agency within the Gaza Strip. Misbar has published a report on this matter, addressing Israeli accounts sharing misleading information alleging that UNRWA supports Hamas.
Israeli Accounts Promote Misleading Narratives About UNRWA Employees
In early March, Israeli pages shared some audio recordings claiming to be from UNRWA employees planning the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. They alleged that more than 450 agency employees were involved in the operation. However, after an investigation by Misbar into the video clips and audio recordings announced by the Israeli forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari on March 5, Misbar found that the three individuals mentioned in the report were between 41 and 48 years old. This suggests it is unlikely for them to be involved in military operations.
Furthermore, certain phrases used in the recordings, such as "sabaya" (Arabic for captives), are uncommon in Palestinian speech and appear to be an Israeli manipulation aimed at drawing parallels between Hamas and ISIS.
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