Gaza cut off as Israel maintains 2nd day of communications blackout

By Ramzi Mahmoud and Tarek Chouiref

GAZA CITY, Palestine / ISTANBUL (AA) - For a second straight day on Thursday, residents of Gaza City were left without internet or landline service as Israeli attacks knocked out major infrastructure routes, deepening the enclave’s isolation under an ongoing military campaign.

The Palestinian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority confirmed that fixed-line and internet networks collapsed in Gaza City and parts of the north on Wednesday after key cables and facilities were damaged.

Such blackouts, which paralyze hospitals, civil defense teams and humanitarian aid operations, have become a defining feature of Israel’s war on Gaza. Rights groups warn they are not accidental but part of a deliberate policy to silence the enclave and obstruct outside scrutiny.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor has tracked more than a dozen complete communication shutdowns since October 2023, describing them as systematic efforts to “turn off the lights” on Gaza and cover up violations on the ground.

‏The Israeli army has continued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 65,100 Palestinians since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and forced the population into famine.

On Tuesday, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory confirmed that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza.