According to Paltel Group, services are being gradually restored following disruptions caused by the Israeli bombing.
Internet and telephone services could return to Gaza and be used as a cover for war crimes after a communications blackout that humanitarian groups had warned of.
Paltel Group, which provides communications services in Gaza, said on Sunday that landline, mobile and internet services were gradually being restored after being disrupted by “ongoing aggression.”
“Our technical teams are diligently repairing the damage to the internal network infrastructure under difficult conditions,” the telecommunications company said in a statement.
“May God protect all of you and our country.”
We are pleased to announce that telecommunications services (landline, mobile and internet) in the Gaza Strip, which were disrupted on Friday, October 27, 2023 due to the ongoing aggression, are being gradually restored.
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– Paltel (@Paltelco) October 29, 2023
Majed Abusalama, an opinion columnist for Al Jazeera, said he was able to reach his mother in Gaza and “hear her voice.”
“Everyone can now reach their families. “Nobody knows how long?” he wrote on social media.
Gaza was in a near-total communications blackout for nearly 36 hours following Israeli airstrikes on Friday that knocked out communications lines and towers, according to Palestinian telecommunications providers.
Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch had warned that a lack of communication in the enclave was hampering efforts to document war crimes and other abuses.
On Saturday, Elon Musk said he would offer his Starlink satellite internet service to “internationally recognized aid organizations” in Gaza, prompting protests from Israel.
“HAMAS will use it for terrorist activities,” Israel’s Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said on X.
“Perhaps Musk would be willing to condition this on the release of our kidnapped babies, sons, daughters and elderly people. All of them! Until then, my office will cut all ties with Starlink.”