Here’s how Musk will provide Starlink service in Gaza
The SpaceX company's satellite Internet service can be used in Gaza with the approval of the Israeli government. Meanwhile, Hamas invites Musk to visit Gaza
Elon Musk and Israel have reached an agreement on the use of the Starlink satellite internet service in Gaza.
On Monday 27 November, the CEO of SpaceX met in Tel Aviv with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after accusations of anti-Semitism leveled against him personally for some messages on social platform X (formerly Twitter).
After the meeting, the Israeli government told Elon Musk that its Starlink satellite network could only operate in Gaza with his approval.
On October 28, via a post on In response, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi stated on X that Hamas will only use Starlink for “terrorist activities.” ( Here is the episode of Spaziale, the Startmag podcast, on Why Gaza also invokes Musk's Starlink network ).
It wasn't the first time Musk has found himself at the center of a debate over providing Starlink connectivity services to countries at war. To date, more than 1,300 Starlink satellite internet terminals donated by SpaceX to Ukraine at the start of the conflict with Russia have helped Kiev's armed forces maintain communications and coordination on the battlefield. To date, SpaceX has launched over 5,000 Starlink satellites and continues to expand the constellation.
Meanwhile, the terrorist organization Hamas also invited the American billionaire to visit Gaza to personally evaluate "the extent of the destruction caused by Israeli bombings", after the recent visit of the SpaceX owner to Israel.
All the details.
ELON MUSK'S VISIT TO ISRAEL
Musk's visit to Israel coincides with the final day of a four-day lull in hostilities in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and comes as advertisers step up pressure on X over a rise in anti-Semitism on the platform, the FT notes.
A video released by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's office shows Musk wearing a bulletproof vest as he visits burned houses in Kfar Aza, a kibbutz devastated by the Hamas group's assault on October 7, while taking photos with his cell phone.
In Tel Aviv Musk pledged to do "whatever it takes to stop the spread of hate" and to "stop the propaganda that convinces people to commit murder." “I would like to help rebuild Gaza after the war, but first it is important to deradicalize the Palestinian territories,” added the US businessman.
STARLINK CAN BE USED IN GAZA ONLY WITH ISRAELI APPROVAL
As reported on Monday, Israeli Minister Karhi announced via posts on X that Elon Musk had "reached an agreement in principle" with the ministry. “Starlink satellite units can only be used in Israel with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications, including in the Gaza Strip,” Karhi clarified.
But Musk has not yet publicly confirmed any deal, the Financial Times points out.
HAMAS' COUNTER-PROPOSAL
In the meantime, the owner of SpaceX received an invitation to visit Gaza from a senior official of the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas, Osama Hamdan, during a press conference in Beirut on November 28. “We invite him to visit Gaza to verify the extent of the massacres and destruction carried out against the people of Gaza, according to the standards of objectivity and credibility,” the official said.
The entrepreneur seems to have responded indirectly to the invitation on the evening of November 28, with a message published on term is positive for all parties."
Seems a bit dangerous there right now, but I do believe that a long-term prosperous Gaza is good for all sides
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 28, 2023
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/ecco-come-musk-fornira-il-servizio-starlink-a-gaza/ on Thu, 30 Nov 2023 06:56:34 +0000.