Pro-Israel online influencing operation has been targeting UNRWA: Report | Social Media News [Video]

Washington, DC – An online influencing operation using fake social media accounts has targeted the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which cited a new report from a disinformation watchdog.

Fake Reporter, an Israeli group that studies online disinformation, found that the accounts echoed Israeli government accusations about links between the UN agency and Hamas, spreading them in comments on social media websites.

As described by Haaretz, the report — released in Hebrew — says the influencing campaign relied on a network of hundreds of social media accounts, as well as three newly created “news websites”, to promote pro-Israel narratives.

But in recent weeks, the influence campaign has focused its efforts on UNRWA, an agency that supports Palestinian refugees.

The report showed that the fake accounts have been replying to posts from United States legislators and Western media outlets with screenshots of a Wall Street …