Palestinians in Gaza Feel Increasingly Isolated as Communication Crumbles Amid Ongoing Conflict

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The limited information emerging from the beleaguered Gaza Strip indicates that most Palestinians there are increasingly disconnected from the world, following intense Israeli military actions that have resulted in widespread communication failures.

Late last Friday, the majority of the Gaza Strip experienced a sudden loss of cellular and internet connectivity, concurrent with Israel intensifying its ground and aerial operations. Bright flashes of orange marked the skies as airstrikes pummeled the region. A handful of Palestinians with access to international SIM cards or satellite communication devices have assumed the responsibility of disseminating news to the outside world.

Hind al-Khoudary, a 28-year-old Palestinian journalist, articulated that the severity of the most recent airstrikes surpassed anything she had witnessed over the past weeks or during any of the preceding conflicts between Israel and Hamas.

“As astonishing as it is, this exceeds all prior experiences,” she commented.

Following the ongoing Israeli blockade, the sense of entrapment among Palestinians in Gaza has escalated. Social media platforms, once a vital source of information and a means to communicate their dire circumstances to the global community, are now largely inaccessible. A palpable sense of despair has pervaded the populace, especially after the Israeli military announced a new phase in the conflict, initiated in response to a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7.

On Saturday, residents navigated through battered neighborhoods under heavy artillery fire to check on family and friends. Medical teams were forced to follow the sounds of explosions as traditional lines of communication were down. Civilians took on the grim task of retrieving bodies from the debris using whatever means available.

Anas al-Sharif, an independent journalist, described the situation as calamitous. “Whole families are buried beneath the rubble,” he stated.

Ashraf Abu Amra, a freelance photojournalist in northern Gaza, conveyed his sense of chaos and urged international intervention through a shaky WhatsApp connection.

“Sending this message is an arduous task,” he expressed. “Immediate international action is crucial to save lives in Gaza.”

Local reporters who usually update via social media are scrounging for even the weakest signal across the 360 square-kilometer area. Some are venturing near the Egyptian border with hopes of connecting to Egypt’s network, while others have foreign SIM cards and specialized routers that can access Israel’s network.

Journalist Mohammed Abdel Rahman, based in northern Gaza, reported a focus of Israeli airstrikes along the Gaza Strip’s western border with Israel.

“As we converse, new bombings are unfolding,” he relayed. “Due to communication failures, we cannot ascertain the number of casualties.”

In the rare lulls between bombings, people rushed to reconnect with loved ones they had lost contact with overnight.

“Without the internet, people are physically checking on each other,” said al-Khoudary.

She later visited Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest medical facility, where exhausted medical professionals continued to operate in a facility crowded with around 50,000 people seeking refuge. She noted an influx of casualties from the Shati refugee camp, which had been heavily bombarded the previous night.

Humanitarian agencies, including the U.N. and Gaza’s Health Ministry, warned that the communication blackout is exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation.

International aid operations, already precarious within the enclave, have been further compromised, as organizations have lost contact with their local staff for nearly a full day.

Philippe Lazzarini, the chief of the U.N. Palestinian Refugee Agency, conveyed his “immense worry” about the safety of his Gaza-based staff in a public letter.

“I fervently hope for an end to this dreadful situation and for your safety,” he wrote.

Doctors Without Borders announced that they have lost communication with their Gaza team since 8 p.m. Friday.

Guillemette Thomas, the regional medical coordinator, said from Paris, “The absence of coordination due to communication breakdowns has led us into a critically challenging situation.”

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Contributors to this report include reporters from Baghdad and Cairo. Additional insights were provided by Isabel DeBre in Jerusalem from Big Big News.

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For comprehensive coverage, visit: Full AP coverage.

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More about Gaza Communication Crisis

• Comprehensive AP Coverage on Israel-Hamas War
• UN Palestinian Refugee Agency Statements
• Doctors Without Borders Updates
• Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: A Report by Amnesty International
• International Committee of the Red Cross: Gaza Updates
• Al Jazeera’s Live Updates on Gaza Crisis
• Communication Infrastructure in Gaza: An Overview
• Overview of Israeli Military Operations in Gaza
• Report on Civilian Impact by Human Rights Watch