Internet access in the Gaza Strip has been severely disrupted as Israel’s military expanded its ground operation, leading to a significant internet blackout in the region.
Furthermore, the Palestine Telecommunications Company (Paltel) attributed the outages to its infrastructure being destroyed due to intense bombing, affecting cellular, internet, and other communication services. Internet monitoring organizations, including NetBlocks and Georgia Tech’s Internet Outage Detection and Analysis project (IODA), reported that internet access was at an all-time low. This blackout has impacted over 2.3 million people in Gaza, making it challenging to communicate with the outside world and coordinate evacuation efforts.
Additionally, Alp Toker, the director of NetBlocks, described this incident as one of the most extensive disruptions to internet connectivity in Gaza since the conflict began. The blackout coincided with an announcement by Israeli Defense Forces that they were increasing the number of airstrikes, further intensifying the situation.
At the same time, healthcare organizations, like the Palestine Red Crescent Society, reported a complete loss of communication in the Gaza Strip, including landline, cellular, and internet services. This loss of connectivity hinders emergency medical services, including ambulance response, raising concerns about the well-being of the affected population.
