Google advertising contract with Israel has ignited sharp criticism after reports revealed a $45 million deal with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office to drive a digital campaign dismissing famine in Gaza. The agreement was uncovered by Drop Site News and described Google as a key player in amplifying Israel’s public relations strategy. The six-month initiative began soon after Israel blocked food, fuel, and medical supplies from entering Gaza on March 2.
According to internal documents, Google’s ad services, including YouTube and Display & Video 360, were used to push sponsored content aimed at countering growing international concerns over the worsening humanitarian crisis. One widely circulated YouTube video produced by Israel’s Foreign Ministry declared: “There is food in Gaza. Any other claim is a lie.” The clip gained over six million paid views.
The timing of the campaign clashed with a documented rise in starvation-related deaths inside Gaza. Local health officials reported that 185 people, including 12 children, died of hunger in August alone. The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirmed famine conditions in parts of Gaza. Current estimates show more than 43,000 children under five facing malnutrition, along with 55,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Internally referred to by the Hebrew word hasbara, which translates to propaganda, the campaign was launched amid growing worldwide criticism of Israel’s blockade. Israeli lawmakers expressed fears not about humanitarian consequences but about damage to the nation’s global image. In one meeting, military spokesperson Avichay Adraee proposed a “digital campaign to explain that there is no hunger and present the data.” That suggestion soon became reality through Google advertisements and similar promotions across multiple platforms. Israel also spent $3 million on advertising with X (formerly Twitter) and $2.1 million through Outbrain and Teads.
The effort went beyond defending policy and also attempted to discredit international bodies. Ads hosted in Google’s Ads Transparency Center accused the United Nations of blocking aid delivery while promoting the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed charity criticized for bypassing UN structures. Rights groups accused the foundation of placing civilians at risk and failing to uphold humanitarian standards.
The campaign coincided with Israel barring foreign reporters from entering Gaza and targeting local journalists. To fill the gap, US-based influencers were invited to promote Israel’s framing of the conflict. Several Israeli cabinet members publicly endorsed starvation tactics. Finance minister Bezalel Smotrich once stated, “They can die of hunger or surrender,” while heritage minister Amichay Eliyahu declared Palestinians “need to starve” if they refuse to leave Gaza.
Google has so far declined to comment on the reported $45 million contract. The company has previously faced backlash for supplying cloud infrastructure to the Israeli government. Years earlier, co-founder Sergey Brin dismissed the UN as “transparently antisemitic” following a UN rapporteur’s criticism of Google’s role in supporting Israeli military operations.
The deal reportedly began in late June and is set to run until December. As famine reports continue to escalate, the role of Google advertising contract with Israel remains under heavy scrutiny from rights organizations, international agencies, and civil society observers.
