An Egyptian writer has succeeded in providing internet service to thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip from outside the territory after Israel cut off the service to prevent the broadcasting or transmission of violations occurring within Palestinian lands. Writer Mirna El Helbawy revealed details of the initiative she established to provide internet access within the strip. Speaking to Al Arabiya channel, she stated that communication with others is a fundamental right for humans, akin to food and medicine.
As soon as they learned of Israeli authorities' decision to cut internet service to facilitate the perpetration of massacres and violations, they decided to seek an alternative solution that would provide service to Palestinians so they could stay in touch and understand what is happening on the ground there. El Helbawy emphasized that the primary goal of the initiative was to connect and empower hundreds of thousands of residents of the Gaza Strip to communicate with each other, hospitals, the media, and the outside world.
She noted that the purpose of cutting communications was to obscure the massacres and prevent their transmission. Consequently, they thought about providing internet service through electronic SIM cards for Palestinian citizens and establishing connections among them to stay updated on their families and loved ones within the strip. This would also enable reporters and media representatives to communicate with their workplaces, as well as allow medical staff to contact their patients and convey the realities of the situation within hospitals and the medical sector in Gaza.
The Egyptian writer sought to provide SIM cards from various countries and announced her initiative and idea via social media platforms, which garnered positive responses, encouragement, and generous donations from citizens across 94 countries. She noted that a team of volunteers joined her initiative, activating the SIM cards and delivering them to Gaza residents through their phones, successfully connecting 200,000 Palestinians.
El Helbawy indicated that donations amounted to 1.3 million dollars for purchasing the cards, with donors sending QR codes from various European, American, and Asian countries. These codes were activated and distributed to the Palestinians, confirming that the initiative would continue until the war ceased and a formal ceasefire was announced.
