A complete telecommunications blackout has severed internet and phone services across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, isolating over two million Palestinians from the outside world as Israeli tanks were spotted in gateway areas to Gaza City’s centre amid intensifying ground operations.
The Palestinian Telecommunications Company confirmed its services had been cut off “due to the ongoing aggression and the targeting of the main network routes,” plunging the enclave into what aid groups are calling a deliberate communications darkness. Witnesses reported Israeli armoured vehicles in Sheikh Radwan and Tel al-Hawa districts, strategic positions providing direct access to the densely populated city centre.
The blackout coincides with the European Commission’s formal proposal on Wednesday to suspend trade concessions with Israel worth €6.87 billion (£5.8 billion) and sanction far-right ministers, marking Brussels’ strongest response yet to the Gaza offensive that has killed over 65,000 Palestinians.
Tanks Advance as Communications Collapse
Israeli forces were positioned Thursday in areas serving as gateways to Gaza City’s heart, with residents reporting tank sightings in Sheikh Radwan to the north and Tel al-Hawa along the southeastern approach. The advance follows days of relentless bombardment that has reduced entire neighbourhoods to rubble.
“The disconnection of internet and phone services is a bad omen,” said Ismail, a Gaza City resident who gave only one name, speaking via an emergency eSIM connection that required him to seek higher ground for signal. “It has always been a bad signal something very brutal is going to happen.”
The blackout has left civilians unable to call ambulances, coordinate aid, or contact family members. Residents in Sheikh Radwan reported Israeli forces had detonated four driverless vehicles packed with explosives, destroying numerous homes. Similar explosions rocked Tel al-Hawa, where tanks were also spotted in the streets.
At least 79 Palestinians were killed across Gaza in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run health ministry reported Thursday afternoon, with most casualties occurring in Gaza City. Four more died from starvation, bringing total malnutrition deaths to 435, including 147 children.
EU Unveils Unprecedented Sanctions Package
The European Commission presented its most aggressive measures yet against Israel on Wednesday, proposing to suspend preferential trade arrangements and freeze €37.5 million (£31.7 million) in bilateral funds. The package specifically targets National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, alongside violent settlers and ten Hamas leaders.
“The horrific events taking place in Gaza on a daily basis must stop,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared in Brussels. She called for an immediate ceasefire and “unrestrained access for all humanitarian aid.”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stressed the measures were “not to punish Israel” but to pressure the government to change course. “Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza will make an already desperate situation even worse,” she posted on social media platform X.
The sanctions require approval from EU member states, with trade measures needing a qualified majority of 15 countries representing 65% of the bloc’s population. Individual sanctions require unanimous consent, a challenging threshold given deep divisions within the 27-member bloc.
Mass Exodus Under Fire
Hundreds of thousands have fled Gaza City since Israel announced its intention to take control on 10 August, though many more remain trapped in damaged homes or makeshift tent encampments. The Israeli military estimates 400,000 people have evacuated, while approximately 600,000 remain in the city.
The Israeli Defence Forces opened a temporary evacuation route along the coastal road on Wednesday, announcing it would remain open for just 48 hours. Palestinians described an unbroken column of vehicles laden with mattresses, gas cylinders, and entire families perched on belongings heading south.
“We are heading to go sleep on the streets towards the beach, barefoot, we don’t know where to go,” said Yasser Saleh, standing on a rickety trailer being pulled by a car along the coastal evacuation route.
The military said troops were expanding operations in Gaza City, with Divisions 162 and 98 “dismantling terrorist infrastructure” and eliminating fighters. A third division was expected to join the offensive. An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said operations were focused on encouraging civilian evacuation and warned fighting would intensify over coming months.
Germany Key to Sanctions Vote
The EU proposals face an uncertain path, with Germany’s position seen as crucial. “The German government has not yet formed a final opinion,” government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius stated Wednesday, reflecting Berlin’s traditional support for Israel.
The trade suspension would affect €42.6 billion (£36 billion) in annual bilateral trade, with the EU serving as Israel’s largest trading partner, accounting for 32% of total trade in goods. If approved, tariffs would be imposed on Israeli goods at standard third-country rates, stripping them of preferential access to European markets.
Spain and Ireland have championed stronger action against Israel, while Hungary and the Czech Republic have historically opposed sanctions. The measures against individuals require unanimous support, making passage even more challenging.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the proposals as “morally and politically distorted,” warning that “moves against Israel will harm Europe’s own interests.” He accused von der Leyen of echoing “false propaganda of Hamas.”
Blackout Pattern Raises Alarm
Thursday’s telecommunications collapse marks at least the fourth major blackout since October 2023, with each preceding intensive military operations. The Electronic Frontier Foundation condemned it as “a direct attack on the ability of civilians to survive, seek safety, and report abuses.”
“As of today, reports from inside Gaza suggest that access has been cut off again in central and southern Gaza,” the organisation stated, noting the previous blackout in June lasted three days before partial restoration.
The Palestinian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority accused Israel of “systematic targeting” of telecom infrastructure, warning the blackout threatens to disconnect Gaza completely from the world and cut access to emergency services, healthcare, and media coverage.
Modern Diplomacy reported that the cutoff of services “has left civilians isolated and aid agencies unable to coordinate,” noting telecommunications blackouts have “repeatedly preceded major Israeli military offensives.”
Ground Offensive Intensifies
Operation “Gideon’s Chariots II,” launched Tuesday after days of preparatory bombardment, represents Israel’s most significant escalation in Gaza City since early in the conflict. The Israeli military says it aims to “destroy Hamas’ military infrastructure” and free remaining hostages, though no timeline has been provided.
At least 40 Palestinians were killed Wednesday across Gaza, including 30 in Gaza City, according to local health authorities. A drone attack on a children’s hospital forced young patients and families to evacuate, though no casualties were reported from that incident.
The Hamas-run government media office said 3,542 people have been killed across Gaza between 11 August and Wednesday, with 56% of casualties in Gaza City and northern areas. The total Palestinian death toll has surpassed 65,000 since the war began following Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023 that killed approximately 1,200 Israelis.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
Medical facilities across Gaza are overwhelmed, with shortages of medicines and supplies hampering treatment. PLOS Global Public Health reported that improvised medical points in tents and temporary shelters are struggling to provide basic care amid severe shortages.
Bassam Al-Qanou, sheltering with 30 family members in a beach tent camp, said they had no way to escape and nowhere to go. “We are scared, but what can we do?” he said, adding children couldn’t sleep due to fear and incessant bombardment from sea, air, and ground.
The military has been dropping leaflets urging residents to flee toward designated “humanitarian zones” in the south, but conditions there remain dire, with insufficient food, medicine, shelter, and space for the displaced.
What Happens Next
The European Council must now vote on the Commission’s proposals, with decisions expected in coming weeks. Trade sanctions could take effect within 30 days if approved, while individual sanctions require unanimous backing from all 27 member states.
The Israeli military has indicated the Gaza City offensive could last months, with an official suggesting operations could be suspended only if a ceasefire agreement is reached with Hamas. However, prospects appear remote following recent Israeli strikes on Hamas political leaders in Qatar.
As tanks advance deeper into Gaza City and communications remain severed, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians face an increasingly desperate situation. With no ability to call for help or coordinate evacuations, the blackout has created what human rights groups describe as conditions enabling potential war crimes to occur undocumented.
The international community watches as the EU’s proposed sanctions represent a potential turning point in Western response to the conflict, though divisions among member states suggest the path to implementation remains fraught with political obstacles.
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Image Credit:
Israeli armored D9 bulldozer in use by the IDF in Gaza (Operation Swords of Honor, 17 December 2023) — photo by IDF Spokesperson’s Unit photographer, CC-BY-SA 3.0.
