The Palestinian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority announced on Thursday a complete shutdown of internet and landline communication services across the Gaza Strip, after Israeli forces systematically targeted critical telecom infrastructure. This attack has digitally severed Gaza from the outside world, marking one of the most dangerous developments in the ongoing war.
In an official statement, the authority explained that the blackout is the result of “deliberate and repeated targeting” of main communication lines and network routes. It added that the southern and central governorates have now joined Gaza City and the northern areas in complete isolation for the second consecutive day.
The authority warned that this serious escalation in attacks on telecom infrastructure threatens to entirely cut off Gaza’s population from the outside world. It is preventing civilians from accessing essential services such as emergency medical care, humanitarian aid, education, and news media — further exacerbating an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
The targeting of communications infrastructure during wartime is not only a crime against civilian facilities but also a direct assault on the rights of civilians to life, safety, and information. This constitutes a clear violation of international humanitarian law, which prohibits attacks on essential civilian infrastructure — particularly those providing vital services necessary for survival.
Amid the ongoing genocide waged by Israeli forces against the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023, such acts of isolation and siege have become part of a systematic strategy aimed at destroying civilian life, cutting the territory off from international oversight, and blocking the world’s access to the truth.
This blackout comes as part of a broader bloody escalation, which has resulted in over 182,000 people killed or injured — a significant number of them women and children. Thousands remain missing under the rubble. Homes, hospitals, and key infrastructure have been levelled, while an expanding famine now threatens the lives of hundreds of thousands.
Cutting off communications not only cripples relief coordination and medical response efforts but also deepens the suffering of families torn apart and blocks the flow of real-time information to the outside world. This opens the door to grave violations occurring without scrutiny or accountability.
What is unfolding in Gaza is not merely a military assault, but a systematic campaign of genocide — one that deploys every tool of modern warfare, including digital siege. The international community’s silence in the face of this crime represents a betrayal of fundamental humanitarian principles and a moral failure to protect civilians in times of conflict.
