2023-11-02 21:02:49
BarcelonaLast Saturday, the Gaza Strip was left without an internet connection for the first time. The blackout – which was repeated this Wednesday – coincided with the announcement by the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of the start of the “second phase” of the war, that is, the land incursion into the Palestinian enclave . Bombs continued to fall and troops were added to the Israeli offensive against Hamas, while Gazans were cut off from each other and the rest of the world, with the exception of the few people, like some journalists, who have phones connected via satellite. That day, Palestinian activist Ahmed al-Madhoun was writing a message on the X platform in which he said: “This could be my last tweet. There is no internet in Gaza. We cannot contact our families and we do not know what is happening to them.” A couple of hours later, he managed to send another tweet: “Has anyone told me about e-SIMs?”. And just five minutes later, Mirna El Helbawi replied: “I, I, I, send me an urgent message.”
This Egyptian writer and activist had just launched an initiative to distribute in Gaza e-SIM cards, the virtual variant that the user activates with a code given by internet operators. Some people in Gaza with SIM cards from Israeli operators were still able to use their phones, and El Helbawi asked for help via social media – he has almost 200,000 followers on Twitter and Instagram – to bring internet to journalists and medical staff, following the suggestion of one of his followers.
Here’s how it works: Anyone anywhere in the world can buy a virtual SIM, choose the geographic area of the Middle East, and send the QR code to people in the Strip so they can get coverage from telecom towers in Egypt or Israel when the Palestinians have no connection. The problem was sending these codes while communications in Gaza were down. But it could be done by using some of the connected people (with Israeli SIMs or with satellite phones) as receivers of the codes so that they could distribute them to people in their physical environment.
The next day, connections were restored in the Palestinian enclave and it was much easier to continue sending QR codes, so Gazans can have internet if the network goes down again, as it did on Wednesday. “We are doing everything possible,” El Helbawi told ARA, overwhelmed by the number of messages she is receiving from people who want to contribute to this action. “We have connected more than 2,500 e-SIMs in the last three days. And we still have thousands to distribute,” he posted on Twitter on Tuesday. One of the companies selling virtual SIMs, Simly, tweeted on Monday calling for the bulk purchases to stop, after receiving more than $70,000 in less than 24 hours. “We ask for a pause in gifts. It is vital to be able to guarantee the correct allocation and use of the cards we have now before looking for more,” said the operator. Activists who maintain the operational initiative also recommend other companies such as Airalo, Nomad and Holafly, and have published several tutorials to explain how to make the purchase.
Pressure on Elon Musk
At first, Mirna El Helbawi framed the initiative as a temporary measure “until we solve the Starlink problem.” Amid the blackout, pressure grew for Elon Musk to facilitate connections to Gaza through his Internet satellite network. Musk responded through the X platform, also owned by him, and assured that he would facilitate connections with “internationally recognized humanitarian organizations”, such as the United Nations. But he also claimed, “No terminal from Gaza has attempted to communicate with our constellation.”
Also, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi hit back at Musk, also in a tweet, that Israel “will use all means at its disposal to prevent it.” “Hamas will use it for terrorist activities,” he argued. “We’re not that naive,” replied the SpaceX founder, who assured that if any Starlink receiver tried to connect to the satellite network from Gaza, the company would take “extraordinary measures to confirm that it is being used only for reasons purely humanitarian”. He further added that the company will conduct a security check with the US and Israeli governments before connecting any terminals.
The essential question is this: receivers. “To be able to connect to a Starlink satellite you need a specific receiver from this company,” explains technology expert Albert Cuesta. “Musk has made the same proposal that he made in Ukraine, with the difference that he sent antennas there and in Gaza there is no record of him having done so,” he adds. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year, Starlink satellites were crucial to maintaining internet connectivity in some areas of the country, although Musk has refused to expand coverage to areas such as Crimea arguing that its satellites could be used for Ukraine to attack Russian forces on the occupied peninsula.
Right now, it seems virtually impossible for Starlink’s antennas to enter the Palestinian enclave, given Israel’s stance, which only allows access for food, water and medicine, while also banning fuel. e-SIMs, for now, will continue to be the main insurance against possible new connection cuts.
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