Israel to fight Elon Musk for providing satellite service to Gaza aid organisations

Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi on Saturday warned X Corp’s CEO Elon Musk against providing satellite internet services in besieged strip of Gaza.  Israeli minister condemned tech billionaire’s announcement, saying that Israel “will use all means at its disposal” to fight Musk’s decision of providing satellite-based communication system, Starlink inside enclave where IDF is conducting ground incursion to uproot Hamas.

"Israel will use all means at its disposal to fight Musk's decision," Karhi said, warning that Hamas will end up using Starlink for terror activities and attacking Israeli soldiers. "My office will cut any ties with Starlink," Karhi asserted.

Starlink ‘will extend services to aid organizations in Gaza’: Musk

SpaceX and Tesla’s billionaire CEO wrote on platform X that Starlink would extend services to "internationally recognised aid organisations" in Gaza Strip. decision came shortly after Israel cut off all communication networks causing total blackout and no aid agency was able to contact its staff anymore. Gaza has been under relentless Israeli airstrikes since Hamas unfolded surprise offensive, codenamed Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, on October 7 and took scores of hostages. 

IDF responded to Hamas with uninterrupted campaign of air raids, artillery fire and bombing, that has also led to civilian casualties. Palestine health ministry says that as many as 7,703 Palestinians, including 3,595 children, have been killed sine war ensued on both sides. As food, water, fuel and medicines was cut off from enclave, some 2.3 million residents are huddled inside tiny land waiting for aid to arrive. 

A movement tagging Elon Musk gained traction on social media calling entrepreneur to help restore internet in besieged region. After Russia launched an all-out assault on Ukraine in February 2022, Musk’s Starlink satellites were used to provide critical-to-maintain internet connectivity in some areas despite Russian jamming of networks.