Telecommunication Blackout:
A weeklong telecommunications blackout in Gaza is a “matter of life and death,” says digital civil rights group Access Now. The blackout is the longest continuous outage since the start of Israel’s war. Access Now calls for an immediate end to the blackout.
Marwa Fatafta, the group’s policy and advocacy director for the Middle East and North Africa, condemns the disruption of connectivity amid unprecedented violence and human suffering.
Internet Shutdowns as Weapons:
Access Now insists that internet shutdowns should not be employed as tools of war. The organization urgently calls for both a physical and digital ceasefire and the immediate restoration of telecommunications services in Gaza.
On January 12, Paltel, a Palestinian internet service provider, reported a complete loss of all telecommunications services in Gaza, attributing it to the ongoing aggression. Data from Cloudflare Radar corroborates a significant decline in internet traffic during this period.
Longest Disruption:
NetBlocks, a cybersecurity and internet governance watchdog, reported on Thursday that the incident had exceeded 144 hours. The disruption marks the ninth and longest sustained telecommunications outage since the beginning of the current conflict with Israel. This information was shared on the social media platform X.
Cons of Internet Shutdown:
Internet shutdowns in Gaza are hindering the delivery of humanitarian aid to the 2.3 million people, with 85 percent internally displaced. The outages pose significant challenges in documenting and sharing information about the ground situation.
Since the war started on October 7, the Gaza Strip has experienced multiple blackouts and shutdowns in internet traffic. Repair crews face difficulties reaching damaged sites during intense Israeli bombardments and sometimes take substantial personal risks to restore connections.
Attacks on Civilian Infrastructure:
Access Now attributes the outages in Gaza to a combination of factors, including direct attacks on civilian telecommunications infrastructure. The disruptions also stem from restrictions on access to electricity and technical issues affecting telecommunications services. During Israel’s intense bombardment of Gaza, with a reported death toll of at least 24,620 and 61,830 wounded, these blackouts have occurred. Access Now highlights that Israeli air strikes on October 9 specifically targeted a building housing offices and infrastructure for Paltel and Jawwal, major telecommunications providers in the Gaza Strip.
