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Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has responded to requests regarding the deployment of his satellite telecommunications network, Starlink, in the Gaza Strip. In a post on his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), Musk assured that his service would support the connectivity of “internationally recognized aid organizations” in Gaza.

Since Friday, the enclave has been without phone and internet services. This came after Israel cut off its electricity and water supply in response to a terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7. As a result of these cut-offs, many NGOs have been unable to contact their personnel on the ground. UN agencies also report a lack of communication with their teams in Gaza.

Among those calling for Starlink to be established in Gaza is American Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who states that “cutting off all communication to a population of 2.2 million people is unacceptable.” In response, Elon Musk assured that “Starlink will support connectivity for internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza.”

Earlier in the day, Elon Musk mentioned that “no terminal in Gaza has attempted to communicate with our network,” implying that there were no devices capable of connecting to the network in the area (a kind of satellite dish is required to receive the signal). Furthermore, in response to a user who argued that bringing Starlink to Gaza would require compatible terminals “when Gaza struggles to even have water,” Elon Musk simply replied, “Correct.”

Starlink, a division of Elon Musk’s company SpaceX, aims to use a network of 5,000 satellites as relay antennas in space to provide telecommunication and internet access, even in areas where terrestrial networks are unavailable. This would not be the first time that Starlink has been involved in a war zone. In 2022, Elon Musk made Starlink available during the conflict in Ukraine shortly after Russia’s invasion, delivering thousands of terminals to the country.

While Starlink has proven to be a source of controversy, with Musk reportedly cutting off some connections due to concerns of potential use in an attack on a Russian naval base near Crimea, the billionaire’s involvement in military decisions only underscores his influence and raises concerns about the solutions he proposes.

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