Palestinian camps plan resurrects a sinister spectre from history
©Washington Post
As Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured Washington last week, much remained up in the air at home.
There is no ceasefire yet in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, no clarity on how to address the territory's sprawling humanitarian catastrophe, and no road map for reconciling Israel with the millions of Palestinians who live under the de facto control of its security forces.
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The Journal
17 minutes ago
- The Journal
Internet outages and a 2G mobile network keep Gazans offline and silenced
EVEN BEFORE OCTOBER 2023, people living in Gaza had access to only 2G mobile internet services. Many nations, including Ireland, are now phasing out 2G networks, which have max download speeds of 50kbps, as faster networks such as 4G and 5G become more widespread. The second generation of cellular network technology was first rolled out in the 1990s, making basic mobile internet connectivity possible. For Gaza to access speeds more suitable to the modern mobile internet, Israeli authorities must approve the use of next-generation spectrum frequencies. Since October 2023, connectivity for Gazans has deteriorated still further, with intentional internet shutdowns a common occurrence . These shutdowns have been condemned by the UN as a violation of international human rights law. Some individuals manage to maintain a connection through the use of eSIMs, a software-based version of a SIM card that may reach a faint signal from a network beyond the blackout. But these are typically accessible only to a privileged few. The Palestinian Authority's telecommunications ministry claims that one of the latest three-day outages was caused by the deliberate targeting of a fibre optic cable by Israeli forces. The UN also said this was likely the result of military activity, though Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement. Some connectivity has since been restored. Much of Gaza's communications infrastructure has been destroyed over the past year and a half, inhibiting communications with the rest of the world and disrupting emergency humanitarian operations. Palestinians are cut off from friends, family and vital updates. Riham Al Faqih, development and outreach director with Miftah, a civil society organisation in Palestine promoting democratic principles, says control of communications has long been part and parcel of Israel's occupation. Advertisement 'Israel really has full control over our internet and digital spaces,' Al Faqih said. 'They can cut, limit, interfere, impede any developments in that sector.' A recent report by Miftah outlined violations of Palestinians' digital rights committed by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The report identified internet disruptions, among other violations by the Israeli occupation, along with technological oppression, censorship and surveillance. The Palestinian National Authority is called out for inadequacies in safeguarding digital rights, as well as instances of censorship, surveillance, and intimidation targeting journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens. The process of obtaining licences to operate mobile networks is 'unjustifiably long and expensive', Miftah found. This is exacerbated by the need to obtain separate licences for each new generation of network technology – 3G, 4G and so on. 'Palestinians in the West Bank were finally able to connect to the 3G and 4G internet services just in 2018,' said Al Faqih. Freedom of expression Even if they do manage to get online, Palestinians find their freedom of expression limited. In the West Bank, Al Faqih has seen those who shared criticism of Israel's actions followed by Israeli police, prosecuted and imprisoned. She suspects that content related to Palestine is being 'shadow-banned' by social media platforms: having their content restricted or repressed without notification. A 2023 study by Human Rights Watch documented the removal and suppression of posts in support of Palestine across Instagram and Facebook. 'That's also part of the restricting and controlling of our narrative,' said Al Faqih. You feel like you're less of a human being just because whatever you say is going to be attacked, while on the other side people can say whatever they want.' Artificial intelligence Palestine has become a testing ground for surveillance technologies and the weaponisation of artificial intelligence (AI), according to Al Faqih. 'These technologies, they're developing so fast, so quickly, and they're being sold to other countries because they are tested on Palestinians and they're tested on real-life examples,' she said. Related Reads Gaza's blackouts: 'You might be killed for trying to have internet access at public points' '[Israel] has full control over our data, our identities, even our phone numbers. So they have a total database of our information, which is being used to formulate targets.' The Pegasus spyware by Israeli cyberweapons developers NSO Group came to widespread attention when, in 2021, Apple contradicted the claim that this software was used solely to target terrorists and criminals. It has allegedly been used against activists, politicians and journalists. An Israeli-developed AI-powered system called The Gospel reportedly processes vast amounts of data in order to automate recommendations for targets to attack in Gaza. A database paired with apps and surveillance cameras has been revealed to use facial recognition to track Palestinians' movements. Another combination of AI tools – Where's Daddy and Lavender – has reportedly been used by the Israeli military to find and track Palestinian targets. Lavender, which is said to analyse data to identify Hamas operatives, is operating with only a 90% accuracy rate, intelligence sources told the Guardian last year. But with 70% of the 55,000 people killed in Gaza by late last year women and children, Al Faqih says in reality, an error rate of 10% for Israel's strikes, is 'not even close'. 'Every single person in Gaza is a target,' she said. Purveyors of surveillance technologies sell them to governments on the basis of enhanced law enforcement for increased safety. 'These programmes are…not used for the safety of people, they're used for following students, activists who are speaking out against what's happening in Gaza. And we've seen it. It's not imaginary or something out of this world,' Al Faqih warned. 'Activists and parties and organisations should work to make sure that the use of AI remains within the limits of basic human rights,' she said. A full-length interview with Rahim Al Faqih can be heard on Elaine Burke's For Tech's Sake podcast. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
33 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Israel's strikes on Syria: What we know
Israel has bombed Syrian government sites and other targets since Monday, saying it was seeking to defend the Druze minority after bloody sectarian clashes in southern Syria. Technically at war with Syria for decades, Israel has said it would not accept the presence of forces of the Islamist-led government in the country's south, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel began its strikes as Syrian government forces deployed to the heartland of the Druze minority in the southern province of Sweida, following deadly clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes. Israel has said it would intensify its attacks if Syrian forces do not withdraw from the south. Army HQ, presidential palace Yesterday, Israel said it struck the headquarters of the Syrian army in Damascus, a compound that also houses the defence ministry. Witnesses also said they heard an explosion in the area of the presidential palace, where the Israeli military said it had struck a "military target". Syrian state television reported further Israeli strikes on the army headquarters compound, where a wing of the four-storey building was destroyed. The health ministry said at least three people died in the strikes. Attacks on Sweida Yesterday, the official Syrian news agency SANA announced an Israeli drone strike on the predominantly Druze city of Sweida. The day before, the Israeli military said it had bombed "military vehicles of the regime forces in Sweida". On Monday, it struck several government tanks in the province. Sweida province is home to the country's largest Druze community, followers of an esoteric religion that split from Shia Islam who are mainly found in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, more than 300 people have been killed since Sunday in clashes between Druze fighters, Bedouin tribes and government forces, and in Israeli strikes. The dead include 165 government forces but also 27 Druze civilians killed in "summary executions... by members of the defence and interior ministries", said the Observatory. 'Powerful blows' Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz yesterday demanded that Syrian forces withdraw from the south. He promised that troops would "operate forcefully in Sweida to eliminate the forces that attacked the Druze until their full withdrawal". Mr Katz said that "the signals to Damascus are over - now come the painful blows", sharing Syrian television footage of an explosion in Damascus on his X account. Syria said the Israeli strikes were a "dangerous escalation" and affirmed "its legitimate rights to defend its land and people". New government Even though it has initiated contact with the new Syrian government, headed by Ahmed al-Sharaa, Israel still remains extremely wary of the Islamist-led administration. Since December, when Sharaa's group spearheaded an offensive that toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes against military sites in Syria, claiming its goal was to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of the new government. Israel also sent troops into the demilitarised buffer zone on the Golan Heights - part of which it has occupied from Syria since 1967 - and carried out incursions deeper into southern Syria. Some 153,000 Druze live in Israel, where they are citizens, and unlike other Israeli Arabs are subject to compulsory military conscription. Yesterday, Israeli forces fired teargas to prevent dozens of Druze from crossing the frontier. US says agreement reached US Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday said on X that "we have agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end tonight". We have engaged all the parties involved in the clashes in Syria. We have agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end tonight. This will require all parties to deliver on the commitments they have made and this is what we fully… — Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) July 16, 2025 The European Union urged "all external actors" to "fully respect Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity", later demanding Israel "immediately cease" its strikes.
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Israeli strike interrupts Syria TV live broadcast as defence ministry hit
During a live broadcast, a Syria TV news anchor was abruptly interrupted as an Israeli strike hit the ministry of defence in Damascus yesterday afternoon. Israel launched powerful airstrikes in Damascus, damaging the defence ministry and hitting near the presidential palace as it vowed to destroy Syrian government forces attacking Druze communities in southern Syria and demanded they withdraw. The attacks marked a significant Israeli escalation against the Islamist-led administration of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and came despite his warming ties with the United States and his administration's evolving security contacts with Israel. Describing Syria's new rulers as barely disguised jihadists, Israel has said it would not let them move forces into southern Syria while vowing to shield the area's Druze community from attack, encouraged by calls from Israel's own Druze minority. Mr al-Sharaa vowed that those behind violence against the Druze minority would be held accountable. Scores of people have been killed this week in violence in and around the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, pitting fighters from the Druze minority against government security forces and members of Bedouin tribes.
