As the ground "invasion" on Gaza to fight Hamas started, Israeli bombardment cut off cell and internet connection. The people of Gaza were cut off from fellow Gazans and the outside world for 34 hours. According to the New York Times, American officials "said the United States believed Israel was responsible for the communications loss". However, Israeli officials have declined to comment on these accusations. On top of the lack of electricity and water noted in my previous post, the situation in Gaza has become even more dire with the loss of phone services. As Ahmed Yousef, a civil servant that lives in the central strip Gaza noted, losing communications was far worse because he couldn't reach family and friends, but he also couldn't communicate with the people that sell him water and bread. Even their emergency lines stopped working. The Palestinian Red Crescent, which is a humanitarian organization, commented on X (formerly Twitter), that they were "deeply concerned about its ability to keep caring for people, with landline, cell, and internet connections being inaccessible."
While Israel bombarded the strip, rescue crews worked tirelessly to locate airstrike sites just by the direction that the explosions came from. Panic and chaos ensued, as some people "had run for over a mile to reach rescue teams, shouting for help" (NYT). The disaster was visceral: some of the victims were frustrated and angry at "feeling abandoned that they insulted the rescuers". The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also said that "air strikes targeted several telecommunication installations", and wiped out two of the three main lines of communications into Gaza.
Efforts to gain cell service individually were made as well. Gazans with Israeli SIM cards would be able to use their phones if they got high enough or near Israeli cell towers. Activists on social media also helped: they raised awareness so that digital eSIMs could be bought and sent digitally to Gazans. A notable activist, Mirna El Helbawi, sent hundreds QR codes of eSIMs to people with service in Gaza so they distribute them. Thankfully, on Sunday morning at about 4 am, phone service began to return to Gaza.
As I noted in my previous article, the trend of public opinion shifting from Pro-Israel to Pro-Palestine seems to be growing. Hundreds of thousands of supporters marched and rallied in cities globally, including New York City, London, and Sydney. Many of which called for ceasefires, while the government in Britain and similarly in the US "advocated humanitarian pauses to allow aid to reach people in Gaza" (Reuters).
March in London. Credit: AP
The media has quite the variant vocabulary when reporting on the conflict. In my first sentence, I put quotes around the word invasion because Israeli military doesn't call it an invasion, but rather an incursion. As we focused on the media and polling recently, wording can have a large effect. The Washington Post called the Hamas group "militants", whereas CNN and FOX called them "terrorists". It is a balancing act, where the media can portray a particular side very differently by just changing a few words. And this will make the media appear biased, whether it is intentional or not. This could lead to readers denouncing the media source and distrusting them, or perhaps more loyalty if the viewer agrees (confirmation bias).
- Sean Lai
Sources:
https://www.wired.com/story/gaza-internet-blackout-israel/
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/29/world/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/29/world/middleeast/gaza-blackout-internet-israel.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/27/us-urging-israel-rethinkg-gaza-ground-invasion/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2023/10/20/israel-gaza-strike-hospital-blast/
https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-protests-world-8f6728e4d15391f9a478d4bef38ec52c
7 comments:
Even if only for 34 hours (as you stated in the post), the loss of internet connection in Gaza and therefore the absence of communication and sharing of information online, suggests to me that lots of chaos and violence has most definitely gone unnoticed because no one in Gaza could’ve told anyone. In general, it’s especially disturbing that most of the people who have lost family or close friends won’t be able to find justice for them. The activist you talked about (Mirna El Helbawi) who sent eSIMs to people in Gaza reminds me of how Starlink provided access to internet via satellite to Ukraine in their war against Russia (now on hold). Apparently, SpaceX will “support communication links with internationally recognized aid organizations” in Gaza according to Elon Musk, since Israel wiped out most of Gaza’s communications networks. Maybe not 50 years ago, but now, basic internet access and the ability to text and call people (even though many of us take it for granted) is as crucial as ever to see the truth of war.
The situation in Gaza is currently one of the biggest humanitarian crises in the world. With now more than 7000 people dead and the people of Gaza quickly running out of food and water, and being completely disconnected from the world around it, it's hard for the Israeli government to rationalize the amount of suffering that is being created by this war. I recently saw a report from a young female student in Gaza saying that every day she is just "waiting to die." I cannot imagine how harrowing that is and I think it is all the more reason to call for a ceasefire, which the Israeli government seems completely unwilling to do. The blackout especially has sort of sealed Gaza's fate for the time being, as they are being completely shut out from the world around them (people theorize that this is in part so they won't reveal the actual extent of the death toll and suffering that they are enduring). It's heartbreaking to think that so many people will die and that their families may not ever find out because of the blackout. Their deaths may remain completely unknown to their families, which is a disturbing situation for them and truly awful for their family members, living in the limbo of not knowing whether their loved ones are dead or alive. I recently saw a report about a Palestinian family who found out that 42 of their relatives were killed in a single day in Gaza, and that is a tragedy that I truly can't comprehend. I believe it is just another reason for a ceasefire to be called, because no one can validate this sort of violence or give reason for this many people to die.
To follow up on Sean's post, The IDF has recently sent an airstrike in the Jabalaiya neighborhood--home to Gaza's largest refugee camp. Israel's supposed reason behind this attack was that numerous Hamas members, including a senior commander, were residing in the area. Although I understand why Israel would want to track down members of the Hamas organization, I simply don't understand why they are steamrolling through so many innocent people, especially those settled in refugee camps. Just because the Hamas group attacked Israel does not mean that the entirety of Gaza should be punished. Homes are being bombed. People are being killed. Food and water are being restricted. This is an act of collective punishment by the Israeli government, which is deemed a war crime according to the Geneva Conventions. I agree with Mikaela in the sense that a ceasefire should be called, but I doubt that the aggressive and violent tensions between Israel and Palestine will be remedied that way. With such a terrible history between the two, their relationship's future is looking grim, and only grim.
As the war continues, the toll on the civilian population will likely increase. Currently, Israel is not considering a ceasefire and will likely continue attacking Hamas until the group is destroyed or the hostages are released. While a humanitarian corridor was established at the Rafah Border Crossing, the amount of aid allowed into Gaza is well below what is needed to support its population. In addition, with exception to foreign nationals, nobody in Gaza can leave. This is terrible for the civilians in Gaza who are stuck in this war zone. Though a ceasefire may be a short term solution, it would allow Hamas to regroup and grow, leading to future conflict. In my mind, the only way to secure long term peace in Gaza is with the removal of Hamas. This would be costly for the Gazan civilians, however its necessary to prevent future conflict that would likely cost more lives.
As the war continues, I am seeing many first-person perspectives of people in Gaza through social media platforms, such as Instagram and Tik Tok. Although many believe these to be unreliable resources, they provide a platform that allows people to share their experiences to people all over the world. Of course there is fake news, but the media coverage from journalists like Motaz Azaiza and Bisan, who post updates on Instagram, shows the reality of war, and brings to light the atrocities happening currently. There have also been many journalist casualties, as nobody is being spared from Israel's bombardment of Gaza. As of 11/6, there have been 37 confirmed deaths, with over 10 missing or injured. This is the first time in history where people all across the globe can witness the horrors that are currently happening as a result of Israel's bombing, and as a response, there is a stronger push for a ceasefire now that people know the truth. People such as Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and Piers Morgan are in opposition to the war, making me agree with people I never thought I could have anything in common with. Tucker is publicly questioning the U.S.'s support of Israel's war crimes, Owens acknowledges that this war is a genocide of the Palestinian people, and Morgan has been interviewing people with varying viewpoints on the issue. Most notably, Morgan recently met with Bassem Youssef, an Egyptian comedian that uses humor to educate people. During this conversation, Youssef referenced a previous conversation with Ben Shapiro, which left Morgan practically speechless, has led to some progression in his very constricted viewpoints.
journalist deaths: https://cpj.org/2023/11/journalist-casualties-in-the-israel-gaza-conflict/
Bisan on instagram @wizard_bisan1
Motaz on instagram @ motaz_azaiza
Morgan v Youssef #1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4idQbwsvtUo
Morgan v Youssef #2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqjO5Z9Lt_M
The communications blackout in Gaza has really emphasized the idea of the horror of the war in the first place, where each side has employed brutal tactics—that said, given Gaza’s high population density, I can’t see any chance for civilian casualties to be avoided, and it just seems more will die the longer the war goes on. The diplomacy surrounding the conflict can help to emphasize the role a politician’s public image and face can play a role in their action, given that both Israel and the US have turned down simple petitions for a ceasefire: aiming to lay down arms while one’s own citizens are still being held hostage would bring a swift end to a political career. While this is understandable, as is the Israeli aggression following the first brutal beginning of the war with Hamas’s attacks, the end result is the number of deaths and injuries dealt to civilians in Israel or Palestine that had little to no influence on Hamas’s decision to attack or the conduct of the Israeli armed forces. Continuing to fight the war may make the most sense politically, but even given the fog of war that can delay information, we can see the devastating impact that this is having on civilians on both sides, harmed either directly or indirectly. I can’t see this conflict ending unless Hamas falls or becomes greatly weakened, nor does it seem much progress will be made in hostage negotiations that wouldn’t cause Israel to lose too much face in concessions.
I agree that language is a powerful tool that can easily influence people's opinions, such as the shift from using "invasion" to "incursion" and labeling groups as "militants" or "terrorists," significantly shaping how people interpret events. Without internet access, people can't access news and share their terrifying plight with the world. Citizens have reported that they can barely use their phones to send messages, hindering their ability to convey the urgent situation in Gaza. The lack of communication is considered a humanitarian concern, as people remain unaware of when there will be another exposure to gunfire or whether their families will be wounded. Additionally, doctors are unable to receive messages from teams in Gaza, making it difficult for them to coordinate and provide assistance to injured citizens. As we reflect on these interconnected issues, it becomes apparent that addressing humanitarian concerns extends beyond the physical dangers of conflict; it requires a concerted effort to ensure effective communication, empathy, and a collective commitment to alleviating the suffering of those caught in the midst of crisis.
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