8:52 p.m. ET, October 27, 2023
Gaza Faces Potential Internet Blackout, Heightening Concerns – Experts Warn
According to independent internet monitoring groups, this blackout represents the most severe disruption in Gaza since the conflict between Israel and Hamas started on October 7. There are growing concerns that as the war escalates, Palestinian civilians will be unable to communicate with the outside world.
“We deeply regret to inform you that all communication and internet services with the Gaza Strip have been completely disrupted as a result of the ongoing aggression,” stated the Palestine Telecommunications Company, known as Paltel, in a Facebook post on Friday. Paltel is the primary provider of internet and cellular services in Gaza and the West Bank.
“The recent heavy bombardment has destroyed all remaining international communication routes connecting Gaza with the outside world,” Paltel stated on Facebook. “This destruction adds to the previous damage incurred during the ongoing aggression, resulting in a complete interruption of all communication services from our beloved Gaza Strip.”
Given the relentless bombardment and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, it may take several days or even longer to fully restore internet connectivity. Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at Kentik, a California-based firm monitoring global online connectivity, expressed concerns about the current outages, stating that they are “probably the worst that Gaza has ever experienced.”
“During the Gaza War in 2014, there were occasional internet outages, but nothing of this magnitude,” Madory emphasized in an interview with CNN.
NetBlocks, a London-based internet monitoring firm, noted that Friday’s blackout represents a “turning point” in Gazans’ ability to inform the world about the situation on the ground.
“The current incident marks the most significant disruption to internet connectivity in Gaza since the start of the conflict,” stated NetBlocks.
