Ikrame Imane Kouachi
28 October 2023•Update: 28 October 2023
RAMALLAH, Palestine
The Israeli army on Saturday continued its relentless attacks on the Gaza Strip amid a near-total blackout of the telecommunications and internet networks.
Anadolu reporters on the ground said the bombardment largely concentrated in the vicinity of Al-Shifa Hospital and Indonesian Hospitals.
Internet and communications went down as Israel's military said it was intensifying its bombing of Gaza and that its ground forces were "expanding operations." International aid agencies said they were unable to contact their staffers.
Lynn Hastings, the UN coordinator for Palestine, said, “Gaza has lost contact with the outside world.”
“Phone lines/internet/mobile networks cut. Hospitals & humanitarian operations can't continue without communications, energy, food, water, meds. Safety of civilians, incl health workers/journos/UN staff at grave risk. Wars have rules. Civilians must be protected,” she said on X.
“Palestinian civilians are already besieged in the occupied Gaza Strip and are now also trapped in a complete communications blackout," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, senior director of Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns at Amnesty International.
“We call on Israel to put an immediate end to indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks which have already killed and harmed so many civilians, including over 3,000 children. Internet and telecommunications infrastructure must also be restored as a matter of urgency, to allow rescue operations amidst Israeli pounding airstrikes and expanding ground operations.”
The ongoing conflict began on Oct. 7 when the Palestinian group Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood -- a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air.
Hamas said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.
The Israeli military then launched a relentless bombardment of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.
At least 7,326 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli attacks. Some 70% of the Palestinian deaths are women and children, according to official figures.
The death toll in Israel stands at more than 1,400.
The UN General Assembly called for an immediate humanitarian truce, with 120 states voting for a resolution put forward by Jordan. Israel, however, rejected it.
* Writing by Ikram Kouachi
