The Israeli side threatens to cut off, the terminal is easy to be interfered with, and the communication blockade in Gaza is broken, can "Starlink" work?

According to Reuters and other media reports on the 29th, Musk said on the 28th that SpaceX's "Starlink" system will support the communication links of "internationally recognized aid organizations" in Gaza. Israel's communications minister said that Israel would cut off ties with Starlink. So, will Starlink be able to restore Gaza's communication links with the outside world? Is there a way for Israel to block the "Starlink" system?

Schematic diagram of how Starlink works.

How to get it in is a problem

Reuters reported that communications and internet blockades have cut people in the Gaza Strip off from the outside world and from each other. As Israel expands its air and ground offensives, it is almost impossible to call relatives, colleagues, or even ambulances elsewhere.

In response to this situation, Musk posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that it is unclear who has the right to make a terrestrial connection in Gaza, but "we are aware that there are no (Starlink) terminals that require a connection in the area." He said Starlink will support the communications needs of internationally recognized aid organizations in the region.

To make the "Starlink" system serve the Gaza region, we must first solve the problem of "transporting the "Starlink" terminal to it. Forbes reported on the 29th that Internet services require terrestrial terminals to connect with satellite constellations, and due to the blockade set by Israel earlier this month, it is unlikely that there will be such terminals in Gaza. As for how and when these terminals will be sent to Gaza, SpaceX did not immediately respond.

Al Jazeera's website on the 29th was titled "Can Elon Musk's 'Starlink' provide Internet services for Gaza?" While Starlink's slogan is "connect where you least expect it," Mark Owen Jones, an associate professor of Middle East studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, isn't sure it will work in Gaza, the report said. In his opinion, it is difficult to smuggle Starlink terminals or dish antennas into Gaza and use them on a large scale. It is unlikely that the Israeli government will allow legal imports. "Even if the Starlink terminal enters Gaza, how to power it is a problem, and now there is no fuel in Gaza."

According to the report, the Gaza Strip has been under Israeli blockade since 2007. Israel controls Gaza's airspace and nearby waters, and manages all goods and services entering and exiting through two of Gaza's three border crossings, the third controlled by Egypt. Jones also said that the Starlink network service relies on ground stations in Gaza that require approval, and it is unlikely that the service will be available under the current circumstances. And if discovered by the Israeli authorities, a Starlink terminal with a two-way transmission capability could endanger the physical safety of the people of Gaza. And SpaceX, if it provides internet services to Gaza, could also face opposition from the U.S. and Israeli governments.

Can Israel "break the chain"

Musk's relevant statements have caused great dissatisfaction on the Israeli side. On Saturday, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Kahi lashed out at Musk on the social media platform X for considering providing "Starlink" to aid groups in Gaza, according to Al Jazeera. Kahi said Israel would cut off any ties with Starlink. "Hamas will use it for terrorist activities. There is no doubt that we know, and so does Musk. Musk responded that his company was "not so naïve" and that "before any terminal is enabled, it conducts security checks with the US and Israeli governments." ”

So imagine if Gaza gets a large number of Starlink terminals, can Israel effectively disable them? After all, during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, despite Russia's attempts to interfere, "Starlink" still played an important role in maintaining Ukrainian military communications and Internet connectivity in some areas.

Zhang Xuefeng, a Chinese military expert, said that Israel faces a much simpler situation than Russia. Zhang Xuefeng said that one way to interfere with the "Starlink" system is to interfere with the satellite constellation. The Starlink system has thousands of satellites, all of which operate in low-Earth orbit. The number of satellites passing over a certain location is large and dynamic. Jamming these satellites is far more complex than interfering with a small number of conventional communications satellites in geostationary orbit. Therefore, the "Starlink" system has just been put into operation during the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which does pose a problem for the Russian army. However, as countries attach importance to the potential of military applications of the "Starlink" system, more and more are known about this satellite constellation, and the technology for jamming it is becoming more and more mature. Israel should be better technologically prepared.

Another way to deal with the "Starlink" system is to jam or destroy ground terminals, and the situation faced by Israel is also simpler than that faced by the Russian army. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict has a firing line that stretches for thousands of kilometers, a vast area, and an extremely complex battlefield situation, which brings great trouble to the Russian army to jam and strike at the "Starlink" terminals, even so, the Russian army can destroy hundreds of "Starlink" terminals every month.

Israel, on the other hand, faces the Gaza Strip, which covers an area of just over 300 square kilometres. Moreover, the Israeli military has full air supremacy, and it will be easier to carry out more intensive monitoring of this narrow area, and once the signal sent by the ground terminal of the "Starlink" is discovered, it can be jammed or destroyed by fire. Therefore, even if the Palestinian side obtains a certain number of "Starlink" terminals, it is likely that it will still be difficult to maintain efficient external communications if it is strongly suppressed by Israel.

Are there any other ways to communicate?

After a communications outage that lasted nearly 36 hours, Paltel, a telecommunications service provider in Gaza, said telecommunications services in the Gaza Strip were "gradually recovering," according to Al Jazeera. And Musk's plan to provide Gaza with the "Starlink" system is only to satisfy international aid organizations. Global efforts continue to ensure that civilians in Gaza can continue to communicate with each other despite another disruption of telecommunications services.

An Egyptian journalist and writer has launched a social media campaign to collect eSim cards from around the world to help people in Gaza, the report said. An eSim card is an electronic SIM card, which is a data file that can be downloaded to a mobile terminal through the network for use. It allows users to use a mobile network connection to surf the internet, make and receive calls, send text messages, and other services without using a physical SIM card. The Egyptian journalist said on X that she had managed to send free electronic simulation software to several journalists, citizens and doctors in Gaza. She added that she has now partnered with telecom startups to ensure that "everyone has access to stable and consistent internet access there [Gaza]". Some social media users send electronic images to help people in Gaza, suggesting that they use Nomad software to buy eSims. After selecting the "Middle East" mobile data plan on the app and paying for the chosen service provider, people receive a QR code.

However, Zhang Xuefeng said that the above means need to be supported by physical communication network facilities, and if the mobile communication network hardware is blocked, the above means cannot achieve communication contact. Vodafone Egypt announced that it is ready to deliver mobile communication base stations to Egypt's border areas near Gaza to help Gaza gain access to the Internet and mobile phone networks, according to local Egyptian media reports.

Zhang Xuefeng believes that it is feasible to use the mobile communication network of the Egyptian side to provide communication services to parts of Gaza near Sinai, but such services cover a small area and are easily interfered with. In addition, radio radios can also meet some of the voice communication needs, and more advanced radio stations can also carry out data communication to ensure Gaza's communication with the outside world.