Internet connectivity in Palestine

Internet and network connectivity in Palestine is important in the context of the Israeli occupation as control over internet access to the West Bank and Gaza Strip is one of the many ways that Israel attempts to exert its influence over the territories or crack down on the dissemination of information, especially during times of violent conflict or war.

Network Providers

Palestinian network operator and communications provider PalTel (both directly and via its Jawwal subsidiary for cellphone service) is the most prominent entity Palestinian entity providing network access in territories under Palestinian control.

In the West Bank, Palestinians often also have the option of obtaining cell phone service/coverage or even fixed landline services such as ADSL uplinks from Israeli network and cell service providers such as Partner (formerly Orange Israel), Cellcom, and Hot, depending on where they are located.

Israel-imposed communications blackouts

Israel has, at its own discretion, enforced blackouts on Palestinian territories, often during times of violent conflict, war, or as part of the blockade on Gaza. There are several means that Israel uses to establish a communications blackout, including terminating uplink connectivity for Palestinian network providers at the network level by denying them peering routes out of their networks to the internet at large to bombing cell towers and internet backbones, particularly in Gaza.