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Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service has been activated in a hospital in the Gaza Strip with the assistance of the United Arab Emirates and Israel, according to SpaceX chief executive. The foreign minister of the UAE, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, expressed gratitude to the billionaire entrepreneur for aiding the UAE field hospital in Gaza, where numerous medical facilities have been destroyed during over nine months of conflict.
“Starlink is now active in a Gaza hospital with the support of @UAEmediaoffice and @Israel,” Musk announced on X, over five months after the Israeli government approved Starlink’s use in the hospital located in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The high-speed internet will facilitate potentially life-saving medical consultations through real-time video calling, as stated by the UAE foreign ministry in February. Internet connectivity in Gaza is limited due to the lack of power and fuel to operate service centers, making it challenging for medical staff and rescue teams to operate effectively. This also limits hospital services and the centralised system of the health ministry.
The UAE, an oil producer, regional finance and tourism hub, normalized ties with Israel in 2020, along with Bahrain and Morocco. Sudan later also reached a normalization agreement with Israel.
The Gaza conflict commenced when Hamas-led fighters attacked Israel, resulting in 1,200 casualties and over 250 hostages taken back to the Palestinian enclave, according to Israeli reports. In response, Israel launched an offensive that has resulted in the deaths of more than 39,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, and widespread devastation in the coastal territory.