Together with the attacks on Iran, Israel Gaza and the West Bank closes further from the outside world

While the eyes are focused on Israel and Iran internationally, Palestinians are becoming further isolated. Last week Israel explained the internet in Gaza. Following the attacks on Iran, Israel also further locked the occupied West Bank.

In Gaza, the internet connection fell away last week, after the Israeli army bombarded the last fiber optic connection. « On June 10, all internet connections disappeared in Gaza city and North Gaza. The next morning the rest of the network collapsed, » says Jalal Abukhater van 7amlehan NGO that is committed to the digital rights of Palestinians, by telephone from Jerusalem. « Mobile networks then became completely overloaded. »

In the meantime the connection would have been restored. After three days, the internet is available again, the head of the Palestinian Authority for Telecommunication Supervision told the French news agency AFP on Saturday.

‘Dangerous zones’

« Bombing the fiber optic connection seems to be deliberately happening, » says Abukhater. “It is feared in Gaza that the black-out Consider with intensification of military operations, at the same time that Israel attacks Iran. ” It was not the first time that Israel laid the internet and telephone network in Gaza in addition to blocking electricity. 75 percent of the infrastructure thereby damaged. The organization states that Israel makes communication in Gaza ‘a weapon’.

« The conclusion of communication happens not only when war crimes are committed in Gaza, but is also a violation of international humanitarian law in itself, » says Abukhater. « Due to the lack of telephony and internet, people have limited access to communication and information, such as when an evacuation warrant is given. »

People were buried alive because it was not possible to communicate that they were under the rubble after an air raid

The United Nations confirmed the internet loss in Gaza. « The emergency help services, humanitarian coordination and critical information for citizens have been cut off, » said UN spokesperson Farhan Haq on 12 June. He spoke of a full internet blackout. The north of Gaza has been the hardest struck in the last twenty months due to the lack of internet and telephony. « People were buried alive because it was not possible to communicate that they were under the rubble after an air raid, » says Abukhater.

In addition, Palestinians do not know where and when help is distributed. The consequences of this were visible last week in the distribution of food packages on militarized distribution points by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) organization (GHF) supported by Israel and the US, which is widely criticized by the UN and aid organizations.

« Palestinians went to the distribution points, where they only understood after hours of waiting that the GHF announced the closure of the distribution via Facebook, while they were in life -threatening military zones, » says Abukhater. In recent days, the Israeli army shot Palestinians again while trying to obtain GHF packages.

Silent

In addition to Gaza, the occupied West Bank is also further isolated by Israel. The number of checkpoints and roadblocks on the occupied West Bank has been strong since October 2023 increasedup to around 850. After the start of Israel’s attacks on Iran, these are largely closed. This means that Palestinians can hardly leave their cities and villages and have limited access to food, medical help and work, while Israeli settlers can move freely.

In addition to radical consequences for the life of Palestinians, the closure of the internet and telephony in Gaza and the Lockdown on the West Bank has consequences for local and international reporting, which is further impeded. « While the attention of the public and the media is shifting to Iran, » written The Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem on social media on Saturday, « the Israeli army seems ready to continue his serious war crimes against the Palestinians and even intensify it. »

In Gaza, a small part of the population, including journalists, can use e-SIMS (digital SIM card). « Send e-sims to Gaza », written Journalist in Gaza Hind Khoudary last week on X in response to the Black-Out. But even with an e-SIM it often takes an hour to connect, and another hour to post an online message, says Khoudary.

It is part of the plan to expel Palestinians

The obstacle to communication in Gaza is one of the ways in which Israel is silent Palestinian voices and controls it narrative, says Abukhater. « Journalists are denied access to Gaza, journalists in Gaza themselves are attacked, and Palestinians in Israel, East Jerusalem and on the West Bank are prosecuted when they express themselves. It is part of the plan to expel Palestinians, and in the meantime to silence them. »

Last Thursday was one in the Israeli city of Sderot conferenceattended by ministers and members of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in which the annexation of Gaza and the West Bank was called.

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