Philippe Lazzarini has told reporters that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) is at “a turning point”, Al Jazeera reports.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Lazzarini said the agency has been the target of a misinformation campaign by the Israeli government. That includes billboards and ads in the US, Europe and Australia accusing UNRWA of “terrorism”.

“This is putting the lives of the UNRWA staff at risk, especially in the West Bank but also in Gaza, where 273 UNRWA staff have already been killed,” Lazzarini said. “The objective of these attacks on the agency is to strip the Palestinian[s] of their refugee status,” he added.

“The right of Palestinian refugees to protection and assistance is, however, not derived from the UNRWA mandate. They exist independently of the agency.”