Complete Internet, Telecommunications Blackout in Gaza
Israa Farhan
The Gaza Strip has been plunged into a total communications blackout, with all internet and fixed-line services cut off following the destruction of the last remaining fibre-optic route, according to a statement issued on Thursday by the Palestinian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.
This latest shutdown intensifies the digital isolation of Gaza, which has been subject to sustained targeting of its communications infrastructure.
Despite repeated attempts over several months to repair both primary and alternative routes, restoration efforts have largely failed.
The central and southern governorates of Gaza have now joined Gaza City and the northern part of the Strip in complete disconnection, marking the second consecutive day of widespread blackout.
The outage follows continued targeting of critical network infrastructure, severely disrupting telecommunications across the territory.
Officials
warned
that the deliberate dismantling of Gaza's telecommunications systems threatens to sever the region entirely from the outside world.
This has drastically limited residents' access to essential services, including humanitarian aid, emergency healthcare, education, and media communications.
The regulatory authority has sounded the alarm over the deepening humanitarian and social consequences of the outage. It urged immediate intervention from relevant local and international bodies to facilitate technical access to affected areas and enable urgent repair operations. Continued denial of repair efforts is expected to prolong the blackout and intensify the crisis.
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