Gaza to lose all communications, internet services soon

GAZA -- Paltel warned Wednesday noon that the Gaza Strip could lose all communications and internet services in a few hours as fuel is running out in the besieged enclave.

Paltel, short for the Palestinian Telecommunications Company, Gaza's largest telecoms provider, said in a statement that facilities powering its network are running on backup energy, meaning services could come to a halt anytime in the upcoming hours.

Palestinian Minister of Communications and Information Technology Ishaq Sadr said that all the network services would be terminated by Thursday if the fuel supply was not resumed.

Israel has launched a large-scale military operation in Gaza after Hamas, a Palestinian faction that de facto governs the enclave, launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct 7 and killed some 1,200 Israelis.

Furthermore, Israel has imposed a comprehensive blockade on Gaza, including cutting off electricity, water, and fuel supplies, causing a widespread humanitarian crisis.