Fact Check: Phone and internet networks in Gaza were down from Wednesday due to damage to key fibre-optic cables, according to the UN.

Fact Check: "Phone and internet networks in Gaza were down from Wednesday due to damage to key fibre-optic cables, according to the UN."

What We Know

The claim that phone and internet networks in Gaza were down due to damage to key fibre-optic cables has been corroborated by multiple sources. According to a report from the UN News, the humanitarian network in Gaza faced a standstill as the internet shut down earlier in the week after the last fibre cable route serving central and southern areas was cut during heavy fighting. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that this outage has left partners unable to communicate or coordinate response activities, isolating people in need from life-saving support and emergency services.

Furthermore, the UN's Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq confirmed that there was a "complete collapse" of digital infrastructure in Gaza, which was paralyzing aid operations across the region. He indicated that the damage to the last fibre cable route was likely caused by military activity, leading to a full internet blackout and severely limited mobile network functionality (source).

Analysis

The evidence supporting the claim comes from credible sources, including the United Nations and various news outlets reporting on the situation in Gaza. The UN's statements highlight the severity of the communication breakdown, emphasizing that it is not a routine outage but a total failure of Gaza's digital infrastructure (source). The Palestinian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority also accused Israel of deliberately targeting key telecom networks, which aligns with the UN's findings regarding the damage to the fibre-optic cables (source).

While some reports suggest that the outages were due to military actions, it is important to note that the claims of systemic targeting by Israel are contested and may reflect a bias in the reporting from Palestinian sources. However, the consistent messaging from the UN and the corroboration from multiple independent news agencies lend credibility to the assertion that the outages were indeed caused by damage to the fibre-optic cables during military operations.

Conclusion

Verdict: True

The claim that phone and internet networks in Gaza were down due to damage to key fibre-optic cables is supported by credible evidence from multiple reliable sources, including the United Nations. The reports indicate that the outages are severe and have significantly impacted humanitarian operations in the region, confirming the accuracy of the claim.

Sources

1. UN says full internet blackout in Gaza, paralyzing aid ...
2. Humanitarians must be able to deliver aid in Gaza ... - UN News
3. UN warns that current communication blackout will cut ...
4. Palestinian Authority says Internet down in Gaza after ...
5. Internet restored in Gaza after 3 days: Palestinian telecom ...
6. UN says all Gaza aid operations could be halted due to ...
7. Complete telecom collapse in Gaza paralyzes aid operations
8. Israel cuts Gaza's last internet line, plunging it into blackout