Elon Musk's Starlink arrives in 'Israel' for use in occupied north

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
2 Sep 2024 13:34
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Starlink's services will be made available for Israeli authorities in northern occupied territories in the coming days.

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Elon Musk, center, stands up to applaud Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks during a joint meeting of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, the United States, on July 24, 2024. (AP)

Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi announced that dozens of Starlink satellite communications systems have arrived in Israeli-occupied territories, in a post on X.

Starlink devices will be installed in the coming days in local Israeli government offices, hospitals, and emergency centers in northern occupied territories.

Starlink, owned by Elon Musk, provides fast-speed internet connections via low-orbit satellites.

The first discussion of Starlink's use in Palestinian territories was in October 2023, when Musk promised to provide Internet services in the Gaza Strip. However, this enraged Israeli officials, specifically Karhi, who threatened that the Israeli regime would "use all means at its disposal to fight this."

Later, Israeli officials held discussions with Starlink, which marked a dramatic turnaround that saw Karhi okay Starlink's use by specific organizations in the Gaza Strip and its broader use in Israeli-occupied territories.

More than six months after Karhi made the announcement, Starlink services were provided to a UAE-sponsored field hospital in the city of Rafah.

On the other hand, the wide-range use of Starlink has been rumored since June 25, as Israeli authorities seek to install the company's devices in government facilities and other centers in case of power outages caused by a war against Lebanon.

Starlink would provide Israeli authorities with essential modes of communication in case of an all-out regional war, where the occupation's electricity and power infrastructure is expected to be a main target. Starlink has already proven its importance in Ukraine, where its use has also been reported among military units.