Gaza is currently experiencing its most extended Internet blackout since the start of the conflict, according to reports from Internet monitoring firms. On Thursday, NetBlocks, an Internet monitoring firm, highlighted in a post on X that the Gaza Strip had reached the seventh consecutive day of an almost complete telecommunications blackout, passing the 144-hour mark.This incident marks the “ninth and longest sustained telecoms outage since the onset of the present conflict with Israel.”
As of Friday, the blackout has persisted for eight days, starting on Jan. 12.Arab News has reached out its correspondent in Gaza for comments and further details about the situation.Earlier in the month, Palestinian telecom giant Paltel declared the loss of all telecom services in the Gaza Strip due to the continuing conflict.
Paltel, owner of Palestinian telecoms provider Jawwal, attributed the shutdown to Israel’s “heavy bombardment” damaging infrastructure in Khan Younis, a city in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, as reported by The New York Times.
Throughout the four-month-long war, Gaza’s Internet services have experienced consistent dis-ruptions.Israel has previously faced accusations of intentionally severing Gaza’s communications, allegations it has not officially addressed.Humanitarian leaders expressed concern that communications blackouts impede aid deliveries, causing delays at the border, a crucial lifeline for many people within the Strip.
Access Now, a digital rights organization advocating against Internet shutdowns globally, stated in a press release that “documenting and sharing information about what is happening on the ground is increasingly challenging, if not outright impossible” due to the outages.
Media watchdog International Media Support said in a post on X on Friday that the blackout has made it “extremely difficult to keep the world informed about Israel’s attacks and the humanitarian disaster.”
Numerous journalists have reported that Internet shutdowns have compelled them to resort to traditional reporting methods, such as physically navigating bombed areas, engaging with survivors and witnesses to ascertain casualty numbers, and relying on radio communication.—APP
