Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: We have strong indications that there are martyrs, injuries, and trapped people in the Salah al-Din area
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Citizens should avoid Salah al-Din Street because anyone who approaches it is at risk of being directly targeted
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Reality is that there is a very limited retreat of the vehicles, with the occupation forces providing cover undeer fire up to Salah al-Din Street
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Claims that the Israeli occupation has withdrawn from areas in the neighborhoods of al-Zaytoun, al-Tuffah, and al-Shujaiya are false
Hamas: The two delegations stressed that any negotiations must lead to the achievement of our people's goals and aspirations, foremost among which is ending the war and the complete withdrawal of enemy forces
Hamas: A delegation from the Hamas leadership, led by the head of the leadership council, Mohammad Darwish, met with an Islamic Jihad delegation, headed by its Secretary-General, Ziyad al-Nakhalah

Microsoft shutting down accounts of Palestinians Skyping Gaza: BBC

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: BBC
  • 13 Jul 2024 15:51
  • 2 Shares
4 Min Read

Microsoft is tightening the restrictions on the people of Gaza who use Skype as a cheap alternative for calls into the blockaded Strip.

Listen
  • x
  • Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, occupied Palestine, June 3, 2024 (AP)
    Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, occupied Palestine, June 3, 2024 (AP)

Microsoft is shutting down email accounts of Palestinians using Skype to call Gaza, an alternative to the expensive international calls that are nearly impossible due to the disruptions created by the Israeli occupation, a recent BBC investigation found, as revealed by the broadcaster on Friday.

The BBC said multiple Palestinians had their Microsoft voice and video chat accounts terminated without prior warning or explanation.

This action is highly detrimental to thousands of Palestinians who rely on the service to contact their relatives abroad, as a paid Skype subscription allowed them to make affordable calls to Gaza amid Israeli-imposed internet outages and restrictions on telecom services.

One person afflicted by this arbitrary action from Microsoft, Salah Elsadi, a member of the Palestinian diaspora in the United States, told the BBC that he'd been using his Hotmail account for 15 years, "and now it's been banned without any clear reason. They claim I violated their terms of service, and they haven't told me which terms."

At least 20 Palestinians told the British broadcaster that they had faced this issue, not only depriving them of contacting their relatives in the war-torn blockaded Strip, but also banning them from accessing important emails, contacts, and personal memories, not to mention those whose email accounts were linked to their work.

Eiad Hametto, who has been calling his family in Gaza from Saudi Arabia, underlined the lack of any political discussions during their conversations. "We are just civilians trying to stay connected with our families. My email account, which I've had for nearly 20 years and was linked to all my work, has been suspended. This has destroyed my digital life," he explained.

Khalid Obaied, another affected individual, expressed his mistrust towards Microsoft. "I paid for a Skype package to make calls, and within ten days, my account was banned without any explanation. It feels like this happened because I'm a Palestinian calling Gaza," he stated.

Related News

Al-Qassam kill Israeli soldier in new 'scandal' for Israeli forces

Israeli officer killed, others wounded in Khan Younis explosion

In response, a Microsoft spokesperson clarified that the company does not block calls or ban users based on their region or the destination of their calls. They claimed that account suspensions typically result from "suspected fraudulent activity" rather than the nationality or location of the users involved.

'Israel' seeking to isolate Palestine

On the eve of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, commemorated on May 17, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) and the Ministry of Telecommunication and Digital Economy issued a joint press release highlighting the theme of this year's event: "Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development." 

However, the press release underscored the repercussions of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the continuous violations of human rights, including those related to the freedom of communication and expression.

The statement condemned the Israeli occupation's deliberate targeting of the telecommunication and information technology sector in an effort to isolate Gaza from the global community.

In further detail, the Israeli attacks aimed to obscure the truths and atrocities of genocide, which are being communicated to the world through various channels, as per the statement.

More than two million citizens in the Gaza Strip have faced severe disruption to telecommunication services on more than ten occasions, as the Israeli occupation has intentionally targeted the sector, the statement revealed.

The deliberate Israeli actions have led to increased suffering, hindering rescue efforts and isolating residents from communication channels necessary for seeking assistance, it added.

The statement stressed that journalists and field reporters have encountered obstacles in their work due to these disruptions, violating international laws and fundamental rights outlined in international conventions.

  • war on Gaza
  • Israel
  • Israeli occupation
  • Palestine
  • Occupied Palestine
  • Gaza
  • Skype
  • Microsoft
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS