Tech mogul Elon Musk announced overnight Wednesday that Starlink satellites, which provide internet connectivity without terrestrial infrastructure, have been activated in a hospital in Gaza with the support of Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
"Starlink is now active in a Gaza hospital with the support of @UAEmediaoffice and @Israel," he wrote in a post on his X social media platform.
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Elon Musk visits Gaza border towns accompanied by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: GPO)
The United Nations recently confirmed that it is in discussions with Israeli authorities to bring essential security and communication equipment into Gaza to ensure the safety of humanitarian workers.
In February, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi signed a license allowing Musk's Starlink satellite internet service to operate in Israel. This approval followed months of verbal exchanges between Karhi and Musk after the billionaire announced that he would allow the UN and aid organizations in Gaza to use the service.
"Local authorities, emergency response teams, government bodies and others will be able to continue accessing advanced broadband communication services, even in the event of wired and cellular communication failures," the Communication Ministry said at the time, adding that the company's services will initially be limited but will expand over time.
Bloomberg reported that Starlink would begin selling terminals in Israel through a local subsidiary in the coming weeks, with initial sales limited to a select list of clients, including local authorities and government bodies.
Meanwhile, Karhi and company representatives also confirmed that they had reached agreements regarding Starlink's entry into Gaza—a matter that had delayed the service's launch in Israel due to concerns it could be used by Hamas.