Israeli Army Shuts Down West Bank, Gaza Internet Access
by Average Jeff •
Monday July 15, 2002 at 11:31 PM
"This last escalation is another attempt to isolate the Palestinians from the outside world, and it robs us of the only means of international communication we have in these hard times," the statement read.
RAMALLAH: Israeli troops in the West Bank extended their targets to reach Internet service providers. The main service provider to over 10,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza was shutdown and had six of its employees arrested.
Israeli soldiers stormed Palnet offices in in Ramallah and are staying there, according to the company’s manager.
"The army raided our offices in Ramallah and arrested six employees without giving a reason," Samir Sabri, told news agencies by telephone from the company's still-operating Jerusalem offices.
He said, "We cannot provide our services, outside of Jerusalem, to some 10,000 subscribers, including academic institutions and university students, who account for 70 percent of the Internet users in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip."
AFP quoted Sabri saying that Palnet had appealed to international organizations and the US consul general to demand Israel withdraw its soldiers from its offices in the West Bank city and allow it to resume its services.
The Internet is an essential means of communications for Palestinians trapped in the occupied territories by Israeli military blockades and, except for the telephone, largely cut off from the outside world.
"The IDF took over an office building where six Planet employees were apparently staying," the Palestinian non-governmental organization Miftah said in a statement.
"Explosions were heard, and the six's whereabouts were not ascertained," the statement continued. Miftah is headed by Palestinian legislator Dr. Hanan Ashrawi.
"This last escalation is another attempt to isolate the Palestinians from the outside world, and it robs us of the only means of international communication we have in these hard times," the statement read.
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