Israel's war has destroyed Gaza's telecommunications sector, says report

Digital rights group 7amleh released a report on Tuesday highlighting how Israel's war has devastated telecommunications infrastructure in Gaza. 

It said that 75 percent of Gaza's telecommunications infrastructure had been damaged, with at least 50 percent completely destroyed.

Communication services have been completely cut off at least 15 times since the war began, reported 7amleh.

It also said that telecommunication companies were struggling to keep services running due to severe restrictions on fuel and equipment imports, and waves of forced displacements putting pressure on networks in specific areas.

"In these harsh conditions, some residents have resorted to using e-SIM cards from foreign telecommunications companies to stay connected," the report stated.

"Satellite internet services like Starlink were only used in limited capacity in one hospital in Gaza. However, these solutions face challenges related to high costs and limited geographic coverage, in addition to the need for Israeli approval to provide these services, restricting their use to specific areas with limited capabilities."