Musk says Starlink satellites activated in Gaza hospital with Israeli and UAE assistance

Tech mogul and billionaire Elon Musk recently announced that his Starlink satellite internet service has been activated in a hospital in Gaza with the help of Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

"Starlink is now active in a Gaza hospital with the support of @UAEmediaoffice and @Israel," Musk wrote on his social media platform 𝕏.

Starlink, which is a subsidiary of the Musk's SpaceX corporation, provides high-speed internet worldwide. It offers the advantage of connectivity without the need for much infrastructure on the ground.

Many hospitals in Gaza have been damaged during the war due as Hamas terrorists have turned hospitals and other civilian structures into terror hubs and bases from which to launch attacks against IDF soldiers.

While the Israeli government supports Starlink as a communication tool to facilitate life-saving medical consultations in Gaza, it has also raised concerns that Hamas might exploit the internet service against Israel.

The activation of Starlink in the Gaza hospital comes shortly after Israel allowed the United Nations to begin transporting communications equipment into the coastal enclave.

"Some communications equipment has also been approved," stated Scott Anderson, the UN’s deputy humanitarian coordinator for the “Occupied Palestinian Territory.” However, the UN also requested the activation a stable internet access system to the Gaza Strip.

Musk has expressed support for Israel and the Jewish people following the Hamas Oct. 7 atrocities. In November, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited Musk to Israel. During his visit, Musk met Netanyahu and visited the southern Gaza border communities that were devastated during the terror attack that claimed the lives of at least 1,200 and watched some of the footage of the brutal attack.

In February, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomi Karhi greenlighted a license for Musk’s Starlink internet service to operate in Israel.

"Local authorities, emergency response teams, government bodies and others will be able to continue accessing advanced broadband communication services, even in the event of wired and cellular communication failures," the Ministry of Communication stated. However, Israeli authorities have at the same time been concerned that Hamas would exploit the Starlink internet connection in its war effort.

In June, the Israeli Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Finance decided to examine the possibility of using Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service as a backup to maintain critical civilian and military functions amid war that depend on stable communications.

“The ambition is that every operation room in a government office will have the backing of Starlink to ensure functional continuity in an emergency,” an unnamed informed source told the Israeli Calcalist tech and finance news outlet.