Israel disabled telephone and internet service in the Gaza Strip after intense bombing on Friday night, leaving its 2.3 million inhabitants cut off from each other and the rest of the world, while the Israeli military command announced that “would expand” its ground operations in the Palestinian territory.
The army’s announcement indicated it was moving closer to a full invasion of Gaza, where it vowed to crush the ruling Hamas group after its deadly incursion into southern Israel three weeks ago.
Explosions from the shelling lit up the sky over Gaza City on Friday evening. The Palestinian telecommunications provider, Paltel, stressed that the bombings caused the “total interruption” of internet and telephone services, both cellular and cable.
Due to the interruption, it is not possible at the moment to know the casualties caused by the attacks or the details of the ground incursions. Some satellite phones were still working.
The Palestinian population, previously plunged into darkness after Israel cut off power weeks ago, were now isolated, crowded into homes and shelters, and running out of food and water supplies.
Relatives outside Gaza panicked after their messaging chats with families inside suddenly went dark and calls did not connect.
“I was very afraid of this happening”said Wafaa Abdul Rahman, director of a feminist organization based in the West Bank city of Ramallah. She added that for hours she had not heard from her family in central Gaza.
“We have been seeing these horrible things and massacres live on television, so now what will happen when there is a total blackout?” he asked, referring to the scenes of families crushed in their homes by Israeli bombings in recent weeks.
Lynn Hastings, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the occupied territories, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that without phone lines and internet, hospitals and aid operations could not function. The Red Crescent said it could not contact medical teams and residents could no longer call ambulances, meaning rescuers would have to chase the sound of explosions to find the injured. International aid groups said they were only able to contact a few of their staff using satellite phones.
The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed alarm, stating that the world “you are losing a window to reality” of the conflict. He warned that the information vacuum “can be filled with propaganda and misinformation”.
Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said ground forces were “expanding its activity” on Friday night in Gaza and “acting with great force… to achieve the objectives of the war”. Israel claims its attacks target Hamas fighters and infrastructure and that the militants operate among civilians, putting them in danger.
The Hamas press center reported intense nighttime clashes with Israeli forces, including tanks, in several locations along the border fence. The Israeli military did not comment on the matter.
Israel has amassed hundreds of thousands of troops along the border in anticipation of a ground offensive. Earlier on Friday, the Israeli military said ground forces had carried out their second multi-hour raid into Gaza in as many days, attacking dozens of targets in the past 24 hours.
The number of Palestinians killed in Gaza has exceeded 7,300, of whom more than 60% are women and children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Israel’s siege of Gaza has meant dwindling supplies of food, fuel, water and medicine, with the UN warning that its aid operations for hundreds of thousands of people were “unraveling” due to a lack of fuel.
More than 1,400 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas attack on October 7, and at least 229 were taken hostage and taken to Gaza. Palestinian fighters have fired thousands of rockets into Israel, including one that hit a residential building in Tel Aviv on Friday, wounding four people.
The total number of deaths so far already far exceeds the combined number from the four previous wars between Israel and Hamas, estimated at around 4,000.
Hospitals have been searching for fuel to run emergency generators that power incubators and other life-saving equipment after Israel cut off all fuel deliveries to Gaza at the start of the war, forcing it to shut down its only power plant. .
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel believes Hamas will confiscate any incoming fuel. He added that the armed group uses generators to pump air into its hundreds of kilometers (miles) of tunnels, which originate in civilian areas.
“To get air, they need oil. For oil, they need us,” he said.
Little is known about the tunnels and other Hamas infrastructure, and it was not possible to independently confirm Gallant’s claims.
Source: Gestion
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
