Google ads linking UNRWA with Hamas appear on Australian news websites as part of a global campaign
UNRWA is the UN-backed agency for Palestinian aid, which Israel has long accused of having links to terrorist organisation Hamas.
In short
Advertisements linking the funding of UNRWA to Hamas have run alongside news content on Australian digital news websites.
The ads appear to be linked to the Israeli government on Google's ad manager platform, and direct to an Israeli government website.
What's next
The websites on which the ads appeared, The Australian and the Canberra Times, have been contacted for comment.
Australians have been targeted on major digital news websites by ads accusing the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees of funding Hamas combatants, as part of an ongoing global campaign to discredit the agency.
The ads depict a masked fighter bearing both the insignia of terror organisation Hamas and of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and direct to a website with an Israeli government domain, which makes further allegations about the agency.
Some of the anti-UNRWA ads read "Paychecks for terrorists or humanitarian aid?" while others read "UNRWA has alternatives, it must be replaced".
The ABC has confirmed some of these ads have been served to readers of the online version of The Australian, owned by News Corp.
A version of the anti-UNRWA Google ad as it appeared in an article in The Australian's website on December 4, 2024. (Supplied: The Australian)
Screenshots of a similar ad on the Australian Community Media-owned Canberra Times website have also been posted on X since December 2.
A screenshot of the Canberra Times news website, which has syndicated an anti-UNRWA ad. (Supplied)
ABC NEWS Verify asked News Corp and Australian Community Media whether they were aware of the ads. Neither responded by publication deadline.
The ads appear to match those present in search giant Google's ad library served by an account called Israeli Government Advertising Agency.
Several of the anti-UNRWA Google ads paid for by the Israeli Government Advertising Agency. (Google: Ad Transparency Center)
The account has not been verified by Google, but a similarly named account called Israel's Government Advertising Agency has had its identity verified by the company, and contains ads that appeared in search results and linked to the same website.
The ads in Google's ad library went live around November 27, weeks after the Israeli government banned the UN agency from operating in its borders — a decision criticised by several UN members including Australia and the United States.
At least eight ads using similar text and images were specifically targeted towards an Australian audience, Google's ad library shows.
It is unclear whether these or similar ads have appeared on other websites, but Google ads can be served anywhere that supports the platform.
A global ad campaign
Although UNRWA receives broad support from UN members, including Australia, the ads are the latest iteration of pro-Israel attempts to undermine the aid agency and cripple its operations.
The agency was established to help refugees displaced by the formation of Israel in 1948 and has been described as providing "life-saving work" by Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
The Israeli government has previously accused UNRWA members of being involved in the deadly October 7 attacks and has claimed more than 450 of its staff were members of "terrorist organisations".
The UN conducted an internal investigation resulting in the sacking of nine male UNRWA staff members earlier this year, saying they "may have been" involved in the attacks.
UNRWA denies that large numbers of its staff are linked to terrorism. The foreign ministers of Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom have expressed confidence in the agency following the investigation.
Senator Wong has called on Israel to allow humanitarian assistance at scale in Gaza. (Reuters: David Dee Delgado)
The same ads have also been served in different languages including German, Italian, French and Spanish and appear to be part of an Israeli government campaign against the agency.
In a statement, a spokeswoman for UNRWA told ABC NEWS Verify it was unaware of the ads before being contacted.
"These ads are the latest in a series of a wider disinformation campaign against UNRWA by the government of Israel. Through the spread of disinformation, this campaign aims at dismantling the agency," she said.
"The damage goes beyond the reputation of the agency, it puts the lives of our UNRWA colleagues including those on the humanitarian frontline at a serious risk."
ABC NEWS Verify attempted to contact the Israeli government for comment but did not receive a response by publication deadline.
In October, the Israeli government voted to ban communications between UNRWA employees and Israeli officials. Critics of the decision said the ban made it near-impossible for UNRWA to operate in Israel and could potentially disrupt the aid supply chain into Gaza and occupied East Jerusalem.
The UN agency is considered a key pillar in humanitarian efforts in Gaza and is funded by voluntary donations by UN member states, including Australia.
"Australia opposes the Israeli Knesset's decision to severely restrict UNRWA's work," Senator Wong said on social media in October.
"Australia again calls on Israel to comply with the binding orders of the International Court of Justice to enable the provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance at scale in Gaza."