Israel’s Communication Minister, Shlomo Karhi, has expressed concerns that the communication links offered by Musk could be utilized by Hamas militants for potential “terrorist activities”.
“Hamas will use it for terrorist activities,” Karhi wrote. “Perhaps Musk would be willing to condition it with the release of our abducted babies, sons, daughters, elderly people. All of them! By then, my office will cut any ties with starlink.”
In the wake of Israel’s decision to disable internet and communication services in Gaza, which left approximately 2.3 million people cut off from each other and the outside world, concerns were raised about the impact on essential services, including the primary emergency numbers and the timely arrival of ambulances for those injured in airstrikes.
Elon Musk responded to these developments on Saturday, announcing that his company SpaceX’s satellite internet system, Starlink, would provide connectivity to internationally recognized aid organizations operating in Gaza. This statement followed US representative Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez’s criticism of Israel’s communication cut off in Gaza.
AOC expressed her disapproval, stating, “cutting of all communication to a population of 2.2 million is unacceptable. Journalists, medical professionals, humanitarian efforts, and innocents are all endangered. I do not know how such an act can be defended. The United States has historically denounced this practice.”
In response, Musk affirmed, “Starlink will suport connectivity to internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza.”
