[Chapter-delegates] Internet Shutdown in Gaza

Zaher Qassrawi zqasrawi at yahoo.com
Wed Nov 8 04:12:55 PST 2023 

Dear Hank,

During the war, the internet was shut down many times. You can find more information at https://pulse.internetsociety.org/shutdowns/internet-disconnected-in-Gaza.

The shutdown had two main reasons:
   
   - Disruption of the infrastructure by Israeli air forces or tanks.
   - Complete closure of services by shutting down  internet exchanges located in Israeli areas (this is not a technical issue but a political decision), and this was done regularly during this war.
Just to note, Israel completely controls the telecommunication services in Palestine, and as of now, only 2G services are operational in Gaza with outdated equipment. 

Do you mean the 2G service is an improved Intrenet srevice !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sincerely, 


  

    On Wednesday, 8 November 2023 at 13:35:00 GMT+2, Hank Nussbacher via Chapter-delegates <chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org> wrote:  
 
 On 08/11/2023 13:08, Borka Jerman Blazic via Chapter-delegates wrote:

Dear Borka and Zaher,

I am responding here as myself and not representing any organization.

Israel has not requested to delete .ps domains nor has Israel requested 
the revocation of IP addresses issued to Palestine or Gaza.
Israel has not disconnected Gaza but rather there have been 
interruptions due to Internet infrastructure being damaged due to the 
ongoing warfare raging in order to retrieve 240 hostages, including 30 
children as well as some infants as young as 9 months!

As various Internet monitoring sites have shown:
https://mastodon.social/@netblocks/111362462889571233
https://ioda.inetintel.cc.gatech.edu/region/1226?from=1695999414&until=1699369014
the Internet in Gaza has not been disconnected and in actuality, 
connectivity has improved over the past week.
If Israel had the ability or even the capability to hit a button to turn 
off the Internet, they would not.    And the connectivity numbers over 
the past month prove that.

Regards,
Hank

>
> Hi everybody,
>
> Last year the whole  technical and internet  community managed the 
> internet infrastructure in Ukraine and Russia despite the  Ukraine 
> requests to delete all .rs domains and allocated IP numbers from RIPE  
> to thiis domain to stay without any changes. ISOC, RIPE,ICANN and 
> other organisation that have been asked to delete/remove the IP 
> numbers and .rs domains refused to do so and the technical 
> infrastructure stayed as it was. A letter that asked to protect the 
> current technical infrastructure  based on the requests from all 
> worldwide  organizations was sent by the ISOC president to the USA 
> president, Joe Biden.
> The internet infrastructure is a technical infrastructure and should 
> stay working even in a war situation and should not be a subject of 
> any politics as "internet is for everyone". So, everything should be 
> done for recovering the internet in Gaza. Access to internet is 
> classified in UN as a human right.   The world should be informed what 
> is happening in Gaza.
>
> For ISOC Slovenia
>
> Borka Jerman Blažič
>
>
> Zaher Qassrawi via Chapter-delegates je 8. 11. 2023 ob 10:38 napisal:
>>
>> *Internet Shutdown in Gaza*
>>
>> **
>>
>> Internet Society – Palestine Chapter would like to draw your 
>> attention to the ongoing internet shutdown in Gaza, regularly imposed 
>> by the Israeli government, and the profound effects it is having on 
>> the lives of the people in the region. It is time to highlight what 
>> the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated in 
>> March 2023: that it is essential to reinforce universal access to the 
>> internet as a human right, and not just a privilege.
>>
>> This internet shutdown has serious implications for basic human 
>> rights, safety, and the livelihoods of the residents of Gaza. The 
>> decision to shut down the internet in Gaza has created a significant 
>> disruption in the daily lives of the people living there. The 
>> internet is an essential tool for communication, especially in these 
>> challenging times, and for accessing vital information. With its 
>> sudden absence, many aspects of daily life have been severely 
>> impacted during times of conflict:
>>
>> 1. *Healthcare*: In times of crisis, being online is of paramount 
>> importance as it serves as a lifeline connecting individuals to 
>> essential services like healthcare and emergency response teams. 
>> Access to the internet enables people to quickly reach out to medical 
>> professionals for vital health advice, especially when seconds can 
>> make a difference in emergencies. Additionally, being online allows 
>> individuals to report their location, enabling ambulances and first 
>> responders to reach them swiftly, potentially saving lives. In 
>> situations where every moment counts, the internet serves as a 
>> crucial tool to bridge the gap between those in distress and the 
>> assistance they urgently require. The internet shutdown has hindered 
>> access to medical advice and healthcare information, potentially 
>> putting lives at risk. Dr. Duaa Abu Shakra was a real-life example of 
>> such a need when she sent a message from the ruins of her destroyed 
>> house for help. This message allowed first responders to reach her 
>> and save her life along with her family.
>>
>> 2. *Communication*: The ability to communicate with loved ones, 
>> access critical information, and maintain contact with the outside 
>> world is now severely limited. Families are struggling to connect 
>> with each other, and many are left in the dark about the safety and 
>> well-being of their relatives in other parts of the world.
>>
>> 3. *Information Flow*: Access to accurate and timely information is 
>> crucial, particularly in times of crisis. The internet shutdown 
>> limits the ability of the people in Gaza to stay informed about the 
>> evolving situation, which can have serious implications for their 
>> safety and well-being. This raises concerns about the Israeli 
>> government's willingness to conceal what happened in Gaza without any 
>> witnesses.
>>
>> We call upon the international community to urge the Israeli 
>> government to reconsider the internet shutdown in Gaza and to find 
>> alternative means to address their concerns while ensuring that the 
>> basic human rights and needs of the people in the region are met. It 
>> is essential to remember that a thriving and connected community is 
>> more likely to contribute to peace and stability in the region.
>>
>> We urge the international community to closely monitor the situation 
>> and work towards a resolution that respects the rights and well-being 
>> of all individuals affected by this internet shutdown.
>>
>> *Internet Society*
>>
>> *Palestine Chapter*
>>
>> https://isoc.ps/?p=582
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed
>> to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society Chapter Portal (AMS):
>> https://admin.internetsociety.org/622619/User/Login
>> View the Internet Society Code of Conduct:https://www.internetsociety.org/become-a-member/code-of-conduct/
>
>
> -- 
> Prof.dr.Borka Jerman-Blažič Ex-Head, Laboratory for Open systems and 
> Networks Jožef Stefan Institute and Faculty of Economics, Ljubljana 
> University Slovenia tel. +386 1 477 3408 tel. +386 1 477 3756 mob. 
> +386 41 678 410
>
> _______________________________________________
> As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed
> to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society Chapter Portal (AMS):
> https://admin.internetsociety.org/622619/User/Login
> View the Internet Society Code of Conduct: https://www.internetsociety.org/become-a-member/code-of-conduct/


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