abusesaffiliationarrow-downarrow-leftarrow-rightarrow-upattack-typeburgerchevron-downchevron-leftchevron-rightchevron-upClock iconclosedeletedevelopment-povertydiscriminationdollardownloademailenvironmentexternal-linkfacebookfiltergenderglobegroupshealthC4067174-3DD9-4B9E-AD64-284FDAAE6338@1xinformation-outlineinformationinstagraminvestment-trade-globalisationissueslabourlanguagesShapeCombined Shapeline, chart, up, arrow, graphLinkedInlocationmap-pinminusnewsorganisationotheroverviewpluspreviewArtboard 185profilerefreshIconnewssearchsecurityPathStock downStock steadyStock uptagticktooltiptwitteruniversalityweb
Article

10 Nov 2023

Author:
Access Now

Access Now's report exposes how Israel is shutting down the internet in Gaza & calls on ISPs to take steps to restore connectivity

Access Now

"How Israel is shutting down the internet in Gaza", 10 November 2023

Access Now’s new report, Palestine unplugged: how Israel disrupts Gaza’s internet, exposes exactly how Israel is controlling and disrupting Gaza’s internet and telecommunications access, cutting Palestinians off when communication and access to information is most vital. Read the full report.

... connectivity in the Gaza Strip has been severed through a combination of shutdowns affecting internet service providers, leading to a drastic drop in internet traffic.

The report unpacks the changes in internet traffic that have been recorded by internet service providers during October. Key findings and recommendations include:

  • As of October 31, 15 of the 19 providers Access Now looked at were facing a complete shutdown of their mobile and broadband services. The remaining four were each experiencing significant but varying levels of disruption. Complete shutdowns have directly affected an estimated 411,000 people using these providers in Gaza and 34,000 people in the West Bank; 
  • Internet traffic across Gaza has decreased by over 80% throughout October 2023, resulting from a combination of direct attacks on civilian telecommunications infrastructure, restrictions on access to electricity, and technical disruptions to telecommunications services;
  • Governments and internet service providers should take urgent action to ensure connectivity is restored in Gaza, including by offering access to international e-SIM cards and facilitating reliable access to internet and telecommunications services; and
  • The international community should work together to end internet shutdowns and telecommunications disruptions, and enable Palestinians to build and develop their telecommunications infrastructure as stipulated under the Oslo Accords.

"The overwhelming technical evidence across independent data sources confirms a severe internet outage in Gaza. Most local internet providers went out of service early on due to the bombardment of infrastructure, leaving the vast majority of Gazans without internet." ALI SIBAI, DIGITAL SECURITY PRACTITIONER.

Timeline

Privacy information

This site uses cookies and other web storage technologies. You can set your privacy choices below. Changes will take effect immediately.

For more information on our use of web storage, please refer to our Data Usage and Cookies Policy

Strictly necessary storage

ON
OFF

Necessary storage enables core site functionality. This site cannot function without it, so it can only be disabled by changing settings in your browser.

Analytics cookie

ON
OFF

When you access our website we use Google Analytics to collect information on your visit. Accepting this cookie will allow us to understand more details about your journey, and improve how we surface information. All analytics information is anonymous and we do not use it to identify you. Google provides a Google Analytics opt-out add on for all popular browsers.

Promotional cookies

ON
OFF

We share news and updates on business and human rights through third party platforms, including social media and search engines. These cookies help us to understand the performance of these promotions.

Your privacy choices for this site

This site uses cookies and other web storage technologies to enhance your experience beyond necessary core functionality.