White House says restoration of communications in Gaza 'critical'

The White House said in a social media post on X that the restoration of telecommunications in Gaza on Saturday night was "critical", saying that it worked to make it happen.

"Aid workers, civilians, and journalists need to be able to communicate to each other and the rest of the world. Our Administration cared about this, worked on it, and are glad to see it restored," the White House said.

The restoration of internet connection led to a wave of journalists and Gaza residents going online to share that they were alive and also allowed many Palestinians with family in the enclave to get in touch with them.

But on Sunday night, NetBlocks, a cybersecurity watchdog, said metrics showed a disruption to internet services in parts of Gaza, with communications heavily affected by ongoing air strikes.