Elon Musk: Starlink Will Provide Internet Connectivity to ‘Aid Organizations’ in Gaza

Elon Musk Starlink
NurPhoto/Getty
Allum Bokhari

Elon Musk has said that Starlink will provide connectivity to “internationally recognized aid organizations” in the territory of Gaza, where communications have been cut amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Israel is intensifying its military campaign against Gaza, which began in response to an attack by Hamas militants into Israeli territory earlier this month, claiming the lives of over 1,300 civilians and leading to the capture of hundreds more.

GAZA CITY, GAZA - JULY 20: Palestinian Hamas militants are seen during a military show in the Bani Suheila district on July 20, 2017 in Gaza City, Gaza. For the past ten years Gaza residents have lived with constant power shortages, in recent years these cuts have worsened, with supply of regular power limited to four hours a day. On June 11, 2017 Israel announced a new round of cuts at the request of the Palestinian authorities and the decision was seen as an attempt by President Mahmoud Abbas to pressure Gaza's Hamas leadership. Prior to the new cuts Gaza received 150 megawatts per day, far below it's requirements of 450 megawatts. In April, Gaza's sole power station which supplied 60 megawatts shut down, after running out of fuel, the three lines from Egypt, which provided 27 megawatts are rarely operational, leaving Gaza reliant on the 125 megawatts supplied by Israel's power plant. The new cuts now restrict electricity to three hours a day severely effecting hospital patients with chronic conditions and babies on life support. During blackout hours residents use private generators, solar panels and battery operated light sources to live. June 2017 also marked ten years since Israel began a land, sea and air blockade over Gaza. Under the blockade, movement of people and goods is restricted and exports and imports of raw materials have been banned. The restrictions have virtually cut off access for Gaza's two million residents to the outside world and unemployment rates have skyrocketed forcing many people into poverty and leaving approximately 80% of the population dependent on humanitarian aid. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Palestinian Hamas militants are seen during a military show in the Bani Suheila district on July 20, 2017 in Gaza City, Gaza.  (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on Palestinians living in Gaza city, the largest population center in the strip, to evacuate south as his country conducts an offensive in the north.

Israel

EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content / Israeli army Merkava battle tanks deploy along the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on October 13, 2023. (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Amid this campaign, news organizations report that communications to Gaza have been almost entirely cut off. Elon Musk has promised to restore some level of connectivity using Starlink, his satellite internet company.

“Starlink will support connectivity to internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza,” said Musk in response to a tweet from Democrat congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a staunch pro-Palestinian.

In the tweet Musk responded to, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez condemned Israel for cutting off communications in the first place.

“Cutting off all communication to a population of 2.2 million is unacceptable. Journalists, medical professionals, humanitarian efforts, and innocents are all endangered,” said the far-left congresswoman.

“I do not know how such an act can be defended. The United States has historically denounced this practice.”

While Musk has pledged the use of Starlink services, it is unclear if there are even any Starlink terminals in the Gaza Strip, meaning it may be some time before the aid organizations referenced by Musk are able to restore connectivity.

Israel and its supporters reacted negatively to Musk’s message.

Breitbart News will continue to report on Elon Musk and Starlink’s involvement in a second war.

Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. He is the author of #DELETED: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal The Election.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.