Elon Musk recently announced that his satellite ISP service, Starlink, will provide working internet access to aid organisations and other humanitarian relief workers access to internet in war-torn Gaza, after Israel suspended internet access in the area

Elon Musk recently announced that his satellite ISP service, Starlink, will provide working internet access to aid organisations and other humanitarian relief workers access to internet in war-torn Gaza, after Israel suspended internet access in the area

In a recent turn of events, tech mogul Elon Musk finds himself entangled in a contentious dispute with the Israeli government following his offer to provide satellite internet access to Gaza. This offer has raised concerns among Israeli ministers who fear that the Hamas organization may utilize the connectivity for “terrorist purposes.”

The dispute began when Musk took to the social media platform X on Saturday, announcing his intention to allow his SpaceX Starlink satellite network to support communications in Gaza, but solely for “internationally recognized aid organizations.”

This move came in the aftermath of a severe disruption of cellular and internet services in Gaza on Friday, which isolated a substantial portion of the population from the rest of the world. This blackout created an information void during a period marked by the most intense aerial bombardment of Gaza since the conflict erupted three weeks ago.

International humanitarian organizations voiced their frustration, as they were unable to communicate with their personnel on the ground in Gaza, and rescue operations were hindered due to the inability to access mobile networks. The World Health Organization stated that the blackout had made it impossible for ambulances to locate and assist the injured. Fortunately, most of the network was restored on the following Sunday.

The recent escalation in hostilities began after Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, which, according to Israeli officials, resulted in the deaths of at least 1,400 people. In response, Gaza endured a series of air strikes. The Hamas-controlled health ministry reported on Sunday that the death toll in Gaza since October 7 had climbed to 8,005, with an additional 20,242 Palestinians injured.

Elon Musk’s involvement in this situation stemmed from a direct plea made by Dr. Anastasia Maria Loupis on social media. She implored Musk, stating, “Gaza is under bombardment, the internet and telecommunications have been cut off. They need Starlink immediately.”

Musk responded by indicating that no Starlink terminals from Gaza had attempted to communicate with SpaceX’s satellite network. He assured, “SpaceX will support communication links with internationally recognized aid organizations.”

However, this announcement prompted a strong reaction from Shlomo Karhi, Israel’s Minister of Communications. He declared that Israel would employ “all means at its disposal to fight this,” citing concerns that Hamas might exploit the satellite connectivity for “terrorist activities.” He further suggested that Musk might condition the offer on the release of abducted individuals.

Musk retorted, emphasizing, “We are not so naive. Per my post, no Starlink terminal has attempted to connect from Gaza. If one does, we will take extraordinary measures to confirm that it is used only for purely humanitarian reasons.” He also stated that they would conduct a security check involving both the U.S. and Israeli governments before activating even a single terminal.

Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of SpaceX, had previously earned acclaim for providing Ukraine with Starlink services to aid in its defence against Russia’s invasion. However, his role in this conflict was brought into question following revelations in his biography by Walter Isaacson. The biography recounted an incident in which Musk refused to grant Kyiv’s forces access to Starlink for a naval drone strike on Russian ships near Crimea, reportedly out of concerns that this action could trigger a nuclear response from Moscow.

Subsequently, Musk proposed peace initiatives on social media, suggesting that Russia retain control of Crimea while Ukraine adopts a neutral status. These proposals were criticized by Kyiv, which saw them as echoing President Vladimir Putin’s viewpoints.

In another social media post, Musk drew widespread ire by appearing to sympathize with Iran. The post featured a map of Iran surrounded by U.S. flags, accompanied by the caption, “Iran wants war. Look how close they put their country to our military bases.” This post was made shortly after U.S. fighter jets launched airstrikes on locations in eastern Syria connected to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, in response to a series of drone and missile attacks on U.S. bases and personnel in the region.