The longest telecommunications blackout since the beginning of the Israeli offensive on Gaza
Gaza (QNN)- The prolonged blackout of telephone and internet services in Gaza, which started three days ago and is deemed the longest telecommunications blackout since the start of the Israeli offensive on Gaza, has compounded the hardships in the besieged Gaza Strip.
For the third consecutive day, Israel has been cutting off the internet and telephone lines. This blackout has hampered aid deliveries and rescue efforts amid the ongoing Israeli strikes.
NetBlocks founder, Alp Toker said: “The internet blackout is ongoing, and based on our records it is the longest such incident” in the over-two-month Israeli war on Gaza.
Israel saw the blackout as a chance to commit atrocities, which were described as unprecedented. Journalists in northern Gaza reported that Israeli forces invaded Kamal Idwan Hospital and buried patients and displaced civilians alive before running over them with bulldozers. Several other massacres were committed across the besieged strip, killing hundreds of civilians amid the ongoing outage.
The United Nations Humanitarian Affairs Office reported that communication with Gaza has been “severely disrupted” due to damage to communication lines in the south of the Strip.
With only a small amount of aid entering and distribution hampered by the fighting, the United Nations World Food Programme reported an increase from 38% to 56% in the number of displaced families suffering from severe hunger in less than two weeks.
The World Food Programme stated that in the north, where aid has been unable to enter, “families are expected to face a catastrophic situation”.
