Elon Musk has said that Starlink will provide connectivity to “internationally recognized aid organizations” in the territory of Gaza, where communications have been cut amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Israel is intensifying its military campaign against Gaza, which began in response to an attack by Hamas militants into Israeli territory earlier this month, claiming the lives of over 1,300 civilians and leading to the capture of hundreds more.
Palestinian Hamas militants are seen during a military show in the Bani Suheila district on July 20, 2017 in Gaza City, Gaza. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on Palestinians living in Gaza city, the largest population center in the strip, to evacuate south as his country conducts an offensive in the north.
EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content / Israeli army Merkava battle tanks deploy along the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on October 13, 2023. (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Amid this campaign, news organizations report that communications to Gaza have been almost entirely cut off. Elon Musk has promised to restore some level of connectivity using Starlink, his satellite internet company.
Starlink will support connectivity to internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza.
[ComStar]
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2023
“Starlink will support connectivity to internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza,” said Musk in response to a tweet from Democrat congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a staunch pro-Palestinian.
In the tweet Musk responded to, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez condemned Israel for cutting off communications in the first place.
“Cutting off all communication to a population of 2.2 million is unacceptable. Journalists, medical professionals, humanitarian efforts, and innocents are all endangered,” said the far-left congresswoman.
“I do not know how such an act can be defended. The United States has historically denounced this practice.”
While Musk has pledged the use of Starlink services, it is unclear if there are even any Starlink terminals in the Gaza Strip, meaning it may be some time before the aid organizations referenced by Musk are able to restore connectivity.
Israel and its supporters reacted negatively to Musk’s message.
#UPDATE: After negotiating with Hamas (the terrorist organization governing Gaza), @ElonMusk confirms that Starlink will support “internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza,” which are controlled entirely by Hamas terrorists who massacred 1,400+ people in Israel. https://t.co/qMwPMZbXBD pic.twitter.com/SSxDnKx8SA
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) October 28, 2023
Breitbart News will continue to report on Elon Musk and Starlink’s involvement in a second war.
Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. He is the author of #DELETED: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal The Election.