An injured Palestinian man carried into Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza (Photo: Abed Khaled / Alamy)
Israel’s government is funding an advertisement campaign in Britain to attack medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Declassified can reveal.
MSF has provided crucial medical care to Palestinians throughout the Gaza genocide, with international and local staff working in hospitals across the besieged strip.
Transparency data shows the Israeli Government Advertising Agency is paying for an advert to appear as the top result on Google when users search for information about the charity.
The advert leads to an official Israeli report accusing MSF of “grave misconduct” in Gaza and behaviour “that contradicts the fundamental ethics of international humanitarian action”.
The propaganda offensive comes as Israel seeks to limit the work of MSF and other humanitarian organisations in Gaza as part of its wider dismantling of life-saving services for Palestinians.
MSF’s registration to operate in Gaza and the West Bank has not been valid since the start of January and the organisation says it might be forced to cease operations by 1 March.
Patients in Gaza have responded to the news with horror, with one saying: “If MSF stops working, people will lose their lives”.
MSF said in a statement: “We remain committed to providing assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and call on the Israeli authorities to reverse their decision… and to put in place acceptable operating conditions”.
The UK government is reportedly mulling reversing its arms suspensions to Israel, despite one of the core reasons for those suspensions being Israel’s restriction of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Israel’s efforts to propagandise the British public about MSF therefore appears to be in direct conflict with UK policy, and might reinforce arguments to keep the suspensions in place.
Declassified has asked the Israeli government to comment.
