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Gaza's Week-Long Communication Blackout Continues Amid Conflict

The blackout, affecting all forms of communication, hampers humanitarian efforts and has resulted in the death of two telecoms workers.

A Palestinian man produces electricity with solar panels in a makeshift tent in which Palestinians charge their phones cheaply, in Rafah, Gaza, January 17, 2023.
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RAFAH, GAZA - JANUARY 14: A press member is seen sitting next to a tent as he tries to connect to the internet while he and his colleagues in Gaza face high risks trying to cover the Israel-Gaza war on January 14, 2024 in Rafah, Gaza. Israeli forces are dropping phosphorus bombs from the sky on people in the besieged Gaza Strip while prohibiting journalists from entering military zones. Nevertheless, photos taken by journalists was later used as clear evidence of Israel's use of phosphorus bombs in Gaza. Journalists who took shelter in Rafah due to the Israeli attacks are trying to provide food and supplies for their families, while also struggling to show what is really happening in Gaza to the world. (Photo by Abed Zagout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Gaza's communication blackout, the longest of the war, has now lasted one week, preventing humanitarian and emergency services from operating effectively in the territory.
  • The blackout affects both physical and wireless data connections, as well as mobile phone usage.
  • Signs point toward physical damage to the fiber lines connecting Gaza to Israel as the cause of the outage.
  • Two telecoms workers were killed while trying to fix communications lines when a shell struck their company car.
  • More than 24,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health.