Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has extended an offer to provide internet support to the war-affected Gaza Strip after an Israeli military operation resulted in a complete shutdown of communication networks.
This development coincided with Israel's expansion of its ground incursion into the Hamas-controlled region, marked by substantial air and sea strikes.
According to an announcement made on Twitter (formerly known as X), Musk's Starlink project will aid in reestablishing connectivity for the United Nations and other internationally recognized humanitarian organizations operating in the region.
"Starlink will facilitate connectivity for internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza... We will support the UN and other internationally recognized aid groups," tweeted Elon Musk, the head of Tesla and SpaceX, on Saturday.
On the Musk-led social media platform, #StarlinkForGaza became a trending hashtag on Saturday, as the online community rallied for action.
Starlink is a satellite constellation system developed by SpaceX, aiming to provide internet access in remote areas.
Currently, Gaza is facing a near-total blackout of communication, with internet and phone services disrupted for nearly a day. The Palestinian Red Crescent stated that Israel was responsible for this communication blackout.
As the Gaza Strip remains largely isolated from the outside world, Israel announced on Saturday morning that its troops, deployed on Friday night, were still active in the region.
Prior to this, Israel had conducted only brief incursions into Gaza during three weeks of intense military operations in response to the Oct. 7 incursion by Hamas.
