2023-12-16 09:22:01
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The prolonged blackout affecting telephone and internet connections on Saturday worsened the misery in the besieged Gaza Strip, where a United Nations agency said hunger levels had skyrocketed in recent years. days.
Phone and internet lines were cut Thursday night and remained inaccessible Saturday morning, according to NetBlocks.org, a group that advocates for internet access. This hampers aid delivery and rescue efforts as the war between Israel and Hamas, the insurgent group that rules the Palestinian territory, entered its 11th week.
“The internet blackout continues, and according to our records, it is the longest such incident” in the more than two months of war, said NetBlocks.org director Alp Toker. The UN humanitarian affairs department noted that communications with Gaza were “severely disrupted” due to damage to telecommunications lines in the south.
The Israeli offensive, sparked by an unprecedented attack by Hamas on the south of its territory on October 7, has devastated much of the northern Strip and led 85% of its 2.3 million residents to abandon their homes. The displaced are crowded into shelters, mainly in the south, in the midst of a growing humanitarian crisis.
The United States, Israel’s main ally, has expressed its displeasure over the army’s inability to reduce the number of civilian casualties and its plans for the future of Gaza, but Washington continues to offer its unconditional support to Israel with shipments of weapons and support. diplomatic.
In his meetings with Israeli leaders on Thursday and Friday, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan discussed a timetable for reducing the phase of intense fighting. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to visit Israel soon to address the issue.
The White House pressured Israel to allow more aid into Gaza and the government said it will open a second passage to speed up delivery.
With barely a trickle of humanitarian aid reaching the enclave and its distribution suspended by the fighting, the UN World Food Program reported that the number of displaced households experiencing severe levels of hunger rose from 38% to 56% in less than two weeks. In the north, where aid does not reach, “households (…) are expected to suffer a catastrophic situation,” according to the WFP.
The Israeli air and ground offensive has killed more than 18,700 Palestinians, Hamas-controlled Gaza’s Health Ministry said Thursday, before the communications blackout. In addition, there are thousands of missing people who are feared dead trapped in the rubble.
The Gaza ministry does not differentiate between civilian victims and combatants. In its last count, it did not specify the percentage of women and minors, which has consistently stood at two-thirds of the total.
In their Oct. 7 attack, Hamas insurgents killed regarding 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took more than 240 hostage.
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Magdy reported from Cairo, Egypt. Associated Press writer Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece, contributed to this report.
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