The Palestinian Authority (PA) announced that all internet and fixed-line communication services in the Gaza Strip were disrupted on Thursday following an attack on the territory’s last remaining main fiber optic cable, which it blamed on Israel.
The PA’s telecommunications ministry stated, “The southern and central Gaza Strip have now joined Gaza City and the northern part of the Strip in experiencing complete isolation for the second consecutive day.” It accused Israeli forces of attempting to cut Gaza off from the outside world.
Repair teams have been unable to safely access the damaged sites due to restrictions. The ministry added, “The Israeli occupation continues to prevent technical teams from repairing the cables that were cut yesterday,” further noting that Israeli authorities have blocked repairs on other telecommunication lines in Gaza for weeks and months.
The Palestinian Red Crescent condemned the targeting of communication lines, saying the internet outage severely hinders its emergency services by disrupting communication with first responders and coordination with other humanitarian organizations.
Maysa Monayer, spokeswoman for the Palestinian communication ministry, told AFP that “mobile calls are still available with very limited capacity” in Gaza at present.
Now in its 21st month, the ongoing war in Gaza has caused widespread destruction to critical infrastructure, including water, electricity, and roads across the Palestinian territory.
