The Palestine Telecommunications Company (Paltel Group), the largest provider of telecom services in Palestine, announced this evening a total disruption of communication services, including both landline and mobile networks, as well as internet services, across the Gaza Strip.
‘We regret to announce that all telecom services in Gaza Strip have gone out of service as all energy sources sustaining the network have been depleted, and fuel was not allowed in,’ the group said in a press statement.
Yesterday, Paltel said its main data centers and switches in Gaza Strip were gradually shutting down due to fuel depletion, with main network elements depending solely on batteries.
Over two million Palestinians in Gaza have already endured more than 40 days of ongoing phone and internet disruption as a result of relentless airstrikes by Israel. The Israeli authorities’ actions have included damage to core communications infrastructure, cuts to electricity, fuel blockades, and apparently deliberate shutdowns through
technical measures.
‘Intentional, blanket shutdowns or restrictions on access to the internet violate multiple rights and can be deadly during crises,’ said Deborah Brown, senior technology researcher at Human Rights Watch.
‘Prolonged and complete communications blackouts, like those experienced in Gaza, can provide cover for atrocities and breed impunity while further undermining humanitarian efforts and putting lives at risk.’
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), on October 10, airstrikes targeted several telecommunication installations, destroying two of the three main lines for mobile communication. This left Gaza residents reliant on just one line for mobile and internet connections, resulting in disruptions to mobile and internet services.
Source: Palestine news and Information Agency – WAFA