– I have to take the chance and come here. I want to talk to my son, whom I haven’t seen for four months, says Fatima Sheber to the reporting team that delivers material to news from Gaza. On a small hill outside the town of Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip, many Palestinians try to connect to the Israeli telecommunications network. They use electronic SIM cards that they buy on the internet or have sent from abroad. With a few tricks, they gain access to the Israeli network. In Gaza, the telephone or internet often do not work. Therefore, Palestinians must connect to the Israeli base stations to gain access. Clear line of sight to base stations – All communications in Gaza have broken down. People are almost completely isolated from the outside world. It is only at the high points, like here, that you get these SIM cards to work. These are not Palestinian, but international SIM cards, says Mohammed Omran. The journalist Mohammed will have to use an Israeli eSIM in order to report from Gaza. Photo: Jebril Abu Kmeil/news Omran works as a journalist in Gaza. Like many others, he often comes to this spot by the sea, which has a clear view of the Israeli base stations. He says that this is not just about private conversations. – People have to work. Journalists, those who receive emergency aid, those who carry out rescue work and send out lists of names of refugees. People also need to know how far the tanks have entered the city. Palestinians must be closer to the sea to connect to the Israeli grid. Photo: Jebril Abu Kmeil/news – The situation is very complicated, but these SIM cards have made it easier for many, says Omran. Power outages and damaged infrastructure Gaza has been hit by several power outages that have left them isolated from the outside world. On Wednesday 17 January, Gaza was hit by the longest blackout since the beginning of the war, according to the AFP news agency. In addition, Israeli bombing of Gaza has meant that much of the infrastructure for mobile networks has been completely destroyed. The director of the national Palestinian telecommunications company, Paltel, tells the Washington Post that they had 550 base stations in Gaza before the war broke out. – Most are partially or completely destroyed, he tells the newspaper. Fares also says that the situation has become worse after the ceasefire at the end of November. People crowd around a charging station to get power for their mobiles. The picture is from 20 October last year. Photo: AFP Another problem is the lack of sufficient fuel, which is needed to keep the base stations running. The UN has pointed out that the need for fuel is urgent. Gaza has been hit by nine total communications outages since October 7, according to NetBlocks, a security company that monitors power outages. The power outages have lasted between nine and 72 hours, according to the company. Panicked The aid organization Save the Children is also struggling with the telephone and internet connection in the Gaza Strip. It affects both the aid work and the contact with local employees, according to head of foreign affairs Nora Ingdal: – The first time it happened, we completely panicked when we couldn’t get in touch with our people. You don’t know if everyone is alive. That’s how brutal it is. But eventually you get used to this madness, says Ingdal. She estimates that they have had 6 or 7 total breakdowns in terms of phone and internet connection. – The last “blackout” was last Saturday. We have therefore not had direct contact with local staff since Saturday morning. There will be a total disruption of our aid work when we cannot communicate, says the head of foreign affairs to news. Completely isolated without a SIM card Ever since Friday, the internet and all forms of communication have been down. Palestinians must find smart solutions to communicate with each other and stay up to date on the war. The electronic SIM cards are one of the few opportunities the Palestinians have to get internet. But it is dangerous since the hostilities are not that far from the places they have to stand to make contact with the Israeli base stations. – We travel approximately 2 kilometers to get here. It is actually very dangerous, but we have to do this to keep in touch with our family in Gaza City. Without communication you feel left out, says Yousef Al-musharawi to news. Fatima Sheber, tries to call her son in Egypt. On this particular day, she did not get in touch. Fatima doesn’t know why. Photo: Jebrill Abu Kmeil/news Fatima Sheber and her grandchildren did not get in touch with their son in Egypt this time. He went to Cairo with his wife to receive treatment there. Several times she has tried to call him, without success. She doesn’t know why the phone isn’t working. – I will try to borrow a phone from someone else here, she says to news. International manager Nora Ingdal at Save the Children says she is impressed by her colleagues in the Gaza Strip who also find solutions when the internet and telephone connection is down: – They don’t give up and create intricate systems to get activities carried out. Here we talk about quirky ways of communicating, but everything takes an extremely long time, concludes Nora Ingdal. There have been several years of war, crisis and pandemic. What will mark the next year? Program leader is Rima Iraki.
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Tapper 5G from Israel to contact loved ones – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
