Elon Musk announced that the Starlink satellite internet service has been activated in a hospital in Gaza. The initiative was made possible with the cooperation of Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Musk posted on the social media platform X, stating, “Starlink is now active in a Gaza hospital with the support of @UAEmediaoffice and @Israel.”
The activation comes five months after the Israeli government approved the use of Starlink in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Starlink, owned by Musk’s SpaceX, provides satellite-based internet services that can be deployed in remote areas or places where traditional communication infrastructure has been compromised. The UAE emphasized that the high-speed internet service would facilitate life-saving medical consultations via real-time video calling, a critical feature for the Gaza hospital amid ongoing conflict. The Gaza Strip has seen extensive destruction of its health facilities over more than nine months of war.
Recently, events in southern Israel on October 7 escalated tensions further. The Palestinian militant group, designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages. In response, Israel’s military offensive has resulted in the deaths of over 39,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-controlled health authorities.
Musk brings Starlink to Gaza hospital
Musk’s initiative seeks to mitigate some of the challenges faced by the medical community in Gaza by ensuring that they have reliable internet access for vital communications. While the provision of internet service for a single hospital is a breakthrough, its limited impact reflects the Israeli government’s reluctance for residents of Gaza to have internet access more broadly, lest it be used by Hamas in the ongoing conflict.
Ken Zita, a telecommunications expert who worked for the U.S. government around a decade ago on securing internet connectivity in the Palestinian territories, said, “It’s a minuscule offer. It’s one location.”
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated last week that the United Nations was in discussions with the Israeli authorities on getting essential security and communications equipment into Gaza to ensure the safety of humanitarian workers. They said, “Humanitarian aid workers need communication equipment to coordinate operations and ensure the safety of the teams operating in a very dangerous environment.”
Starlink’s arrival in Gaza is the latest reflection of the growing geopolitical influence that Musk wields through his fast-growing satellite business, which is part of SpaceX.
Although Musk is better known for his consumer-facing ventures, Tesla and X, it is SpaceX that makes him one of the U.S. government’s largest contractors and an increasingly prominent player in international affairs. This humanitarian effort emerged following reports of severe internet disruptions affecting Gaza’s medical facilities, hampering efforts to deliver timely and effective medical care. The approach included logistical and technical support from both UAE and Israeli authorities, showcasing an unusual collaboration in the turbulent geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.
The initiative underscores the importance of connectivity during crises, highlighting broader implications for international cooperation and technological intervention in conflict zones.
