IOF deliberate targeting of telecom isolated Gaza amid genocide

On the eve of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) and the Ministry of Telecommunication and Digital Economy issued a joint press release highlighting the theme of this year’s event: “Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development.” The focus is on how digital innovation can foster connectivity and drive sustainable prosperity.

However, the press release underscored the repercussions of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the continual violations of human rights, including the freedom of communication and expression.

The statement condemned the Israeli occupation’s deliberate targeting of the telecommunication and information technology sector in an effort to isolate Gaza from the global community.

In further detail, the Israeli attacks aimed to obscure the truths and atrocities of genocide, which are being communicated to the world through various channels, as per the statement.

Israeli aggression disrupts Gaza telecommunications, hinders relief efforts

More than two million citizens in the Gaza Strip have faced severe disruption to telecommunication services on more than ten occasions, as the Israeli occupation has intentionally targeted the sector, the statement revealed.

The deliberate Israeli actions have led to increased suffering, hindering rescue efforts and isolating residents from communication channels necessary for seeking assistance, it added.

The statement stressed that journalists and field reporters have encountered obstacles in their work due to these disruptions, violating international laws and fundamental rights outlined in international conventions.

Telecommunication services have been completely severed in Gaza approximately ten times, often coinciding with escalated Israeli aggression, the statement stressed.

According to a report by the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor released on February 13, 2024, Palestinian citizens, including journalists, have been directly targeted by Israeli occupation forces while attempting to use mobile services, internet, and electronic SIM cards to communicate with their families, relatives, or employers. Such incidents have occurred through sniper fire or drone attacks across various regions of the Gaza Strip.

Gaza telecommunications infrastructure suffers massive damage 

Before the recent Israeli aggression, Gaza experienced significant growth in its telecommunications sector, with over one million active cellular phone subscriptions and 93% of households having internet access. However, the infrastructure supporting telecommunications companies in Gaza has been deliberately targeted and destroyed by Israeli occupation forces, as per the statement.

The statement went on to say that key components, such as main and sub-switches, towers, sites, fiber optic networks, and transmission lines have been disabled or destroyed, leading to widespread breakdowns in communication services. Fuel shortages required to power generators, compounded by power outages, have exacerbated the situation.

According to data from the Ministry of Telecommunication and Digital Economy, out of 841 mobile phone towers before the aggression, approximately 75% were rendered inoperable as of mid-April 2024. The losses incurred by the information and communication technology and postal sectors in Gaza during the first six months of the aggression are estimated to be around USD 223 million.

Israeli aggression causes a sharp 91% decline in Gaza’s communication sector

The statement further emphasized that recent data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) highlight a significant downturn in the information and communication sector in Palestine, particularly in the Gaza Strip, during the first three months of Israeli aggression.

Quarterly national accounts estimates for the fourth quarter of 2023 reveal a stark decline, with the value added of information and communication activity plummeting by 91% in Gaza. In the same period, the sector’s value added in all of Palestine decreased by 20%, reaching USD 106 million compared to USD 132 million in the third quarter of the same year. Similarly, in the West Bank, there was an 18% decrease, with the value-added dropping from USD 128 million to USD 105 million.

In Gaza specifically, the value added for information and communication activity in the fourth quarter amounted to a mere USD 400 thousand, a drastic decrease from USD 4.4 million in the third quarter of 2023.