Elon Musk announced today on his platform X (formerly known as Twitter) that he would make the Starlink service at the disposition of internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza, following an Israeli offensive that led to the shutdown of all communication.
Providing Starlink, a satellite internet project by Space X led by Musk, will facilitate communication, coordination, and access to essential services in Gaza which has been intensely attacked by Israeli strikes since yesterday.
The communication disruption occurred as Israel expanded its ground operation in the northern Gaza Strip with massive air and sea strikes.
Communication and Internet services disruption:
Paltel, the largest telecommunications provider in the Gaza Strip took to Facebook to announce the complete disruption of all services following the heinous Israeli bombing.
“Dear people in our beloved homeland, it is sad to announce a complete abruption of all communications and Internet services with the Gaza Strip in light of the continuous aggression,” said Paltel on Facebook.
Netblocks, a cybersecurity monitoring group, confirmed that they observed the largest single internet disruption in the Strip of Gaza, resulting in a total or near total blackout of internet service.
⚠ Confirmed: Live network data show a collapse in connectivity in the #Gaza Strip with high impact to Paltel, amid reports of heavy bombardment; the company is the last remaining major operator to supply service as connectivity declines amid ongoing fighting with Israel ? pic.twitter.com/nDPf7HnjKF
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) October 27, 2023
“Confirmed: Live network data show a collapse in connectivity in the #Gaza Strip with high impact to Paltel, amid reports of heavy bombardment; the company is the last remaining major operator to supply service as connectivity declines amid ongoing fighting with Israel,” according to their post on X.
Palestine Red Crescent Society announced via X that it “Lost contact with the operations room in Gaza Strip and all our teams operating there due to the Israeli authorities cutting off all landline, cellular, and internet communications.”
?? PRCS: We have completely lost contact with the operations room in #Gaza Strip and all our teams operating there due to the Israeli authorities cutting off all landline, cellular and internet communications. We are deeply concerned about the ability of our teams to continue…
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) October 27, 2023
Call to action:
Musk’s initiative comes as a response to the extensive calls to action made by people all over the world since the near-total blackout of internet and cellphone services that happened yesterday.
Internet users took to X to launch an urgent call for dire telecommunication restoration in Gaza, using the hashtag ≠Starlinkforgaza. The hashtag has gone viral since Friday on Musk’s social media platform, X, as 4.33 million posts included ≠Starlinkforgaza making it the first on the trending list.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a U.S. representative, commented on the breaking down of internet connectivity stating, “Cutting off all communication to a population of 2.2 million is unacceptable. Journalists, medical professionals, humanitarian efforts, and innocents are all endangered,” stressing that “The United States has historically denounced this practice.”
Cutting off all communication to a population of 2.2 million is unacceptable. Journalists, medical professionals, humanitarian efforts, and innocents are all endangered.
I do not know how such an act can be defended. The United States has historically denounced this practice. https://t.co/L9iV7TSs2u
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 27, 2023
Elon Musk responded to her call by saying, “Starlink will support connectivity to internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza.”
Starlink will support connectivity to internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza.
[ComStar]
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2023
He stressed that Starlink “Will support the UN and other internationally recognized aid groups.”
World’s reaction to Musk’s move:
Musk’s initiative was appreciated and many people thanked him for his response calling him a Man of Humanity.
“Elon your gesture will be remembered in history books. Let’s put this into effect,” said one X user. Another one commented, “Thank you, Elon! Your commitment to supporting the Palestinian, UN, and international aid groups is greatly appreciated. Together, we can make a positive impact on those in need.”
Another X user said, “Thank you Elon. I knew you would come around and stand with humanity once again. Much love.”
Starlink Technology:
It is not the first time that Musk, CEO of SpaceX, offered Starlink service to people in war.
Musk’s technology was deployed in the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022. It helped Ukrainian soldiers in places where other means of communication were shut down.
His initiative was a response to a Ukrainian government official who had asked him to provide the country with Starlink stations.
Starlink is a satellite network developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX to provide low-cost internet access to remote locations. A Starlink satellite has approximately a five-year lifespan, and SpaceX hopes to eventually have as many as 42,000 satellites in this so-called mega constellation.
According to Bloomberg on October 17, Israel began talks with SpaceX in a bid to bolster wartime communications, ahead of its expected ground invasion in the Gaza Strip.
The carpet bombardment of the northern Gaza Strip resulted in nearly 1,000 bodies trapped under the rubble which have not been identified, reported Reuters.
Ever since October 7, Israeli aggressive military operations claimed the lives of more than 7,000 people in Gaza.
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