By Saturday morning, Gaza was nearly cut off of all communication networks, with internet and phone services down for over 12 hours. The blackout was compounded by heavy shelling by Israel to pave the way for its planned ground attack.
The brutal attack turned Gaza into a “a ball of fire” with at least 377 more Palestinians losing their lives in designated safe areas, said spokesperson of the Palestinian health ministry Ashraf al-Qudra.
The Palestinian Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Ishak Sider, said that coordination is currently underway with international bodies to obtain Starlink communication services for the Gaza Strip.
The hashtag #starlinkforgaza topped Twitter trends since Friday night, with owner Elon Musk promising internet connection for relief organizations working in Gaza.
The Qassam Brigades announced two strikes against Tel Aviv and the Zikim base in Ashkelon, as a response to the Israeli incursion into the Gaza Strip, reported Russia Today.
So far, Israel is turning down calls for a cease-fire in Gaza, even from closest Western allies calling for a humanitarian pause, according to Reuters.
In a new statement, the Egyptian foreign ministry has warned against the “humanitarian and security repercussions of the Israeli ground attack” on Gaza and called on Israel “to facilitate procedures for safe, complete and sustainable access” for aid to Gaza.
More than 1,400 Israelis were killed by Hamas on October 7 attack. At least 7,703 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli retaliatory attacks, including 111 from the Occupied West Banks, most of them women and children.