Chris Gunness, former spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), analyzed in an interview Israel’s communication strategy since October 7, 2023, and its impact on the global narrative about Gaza. Gunness explained that, as in previous offensives, Israel succeeded in imposing its “talking points” —which framed Hamas’s attacks as an unprovoked aggression— while concealing decades of occupation, blockade, and collective punishment against the Palestinian people. In his view, disinformation, including the spread of false stories such as the alleged beheading of babies, was part of a planned campaign to dehumanize Palestinians and condition both Israeli and Western audiences to accept large-scale violence.
The former UN official also denounced Israel’s systematic attacks against UNRWA, which he described as the target of a “global witch hunt” aimed at erasing from international discourse the right of return of more than six million Palestinian refugees. Gunness recalled that, despite Israeli claims of alleged links between UNRWA employees and Hamas, independent investigations —including the Colonna Report— found no evidence to support them. According to Gunness, the offensive against UNRWA is part of a broader strategy of institutional dismantling and control over humanitarian access in Gaza, while international bodies such as the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court move forward with cases that could hold Israel accountable for war crimes and genocide.
