The Israeli government announced Wednesday that it has approved the use of Starlink satellite services for a field hospital in the war-torn Gaza Strip and for the first time in Israel.
“Israeli security authorities have approved the provision of Starlink services at the UAE field hospital operating in Rafah,” the Communications Ministry said in a statement.
“Starlink’s low-latency, high-speed connectivity enables video conferencing with other hospitals and real-time remote diagnosis.”
The Ministry of Communications also said Starlink, the satellite network of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and the world’s largest satellite operator, will be available in Israel for the first time.
“Use of the company’s services will be limited initially, but we expect broader use in the future.”
In a post on his social media platform X, Musk said he highly appreciated Israel’s move and hoped it would help both Israeli and Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
After a cross-border attack in southern Israel on October 7 killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages, 20,000 people were killed in the Gaza Strip in an Israeli retaliatory military operation against the militant group Hamas, which runs the enclave. More than 8,000 people were killed and more than 68,000 injured. .
Most of Gaza’s hospitals are closed, some under direct shelling or assault, but those that are still functioning are under increasing pressure as Israeli forces approach.
Israel claims that Hamas uses these medical facilities as cover for military purposes.
Israel faces increasing international pressure to postpone plans to attack Rafah, the last refuge for displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza.
