Gaza blackouts threaten humanitarian aid

https://wsj.com/world/middle-east/gaza-telecom-blackouts-add-to-…

Since the Israeli ground offensive began almost two months ago, the telecommunications system has frequently shut down, first intermittently, and then, over the past month, the network has become patchy and inoperable for days at a time, said Paltel Group, which runs Palestinian telecommunications, and Gazans in interviews.

The blackouts have left many Gazans unable to make phone calls, access the internet or send messages, in some cases for days.

In a report Thursday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that phone and internet shutdowns that had lasted for much of this week “jeopardize the already constrained provision of lifesaving assistance.” No longer able to communicate with much of Gaza, the U.N. said it has distributed information about food and other aid with hundreds of thousands of printed brochures and stickers.