Initiative to provide Internet connection to 200,000 Palestinians

“Internet connection is the grace of God. It helped me save my family,” a posting uploaded by Mirna El Helbawi (age 31, photo), an Egyptian writer and journalist, on her Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), which a Palestinian resident in Gaza received. A family in Gaza had used the USIM that Helbawi had donated to go online to discover Israeli forces’ bombing of the southern region and escape the building. The building was bombed shortly afterwards and destroyed.

Helbawi heard reports that Internet connections in Gaza on Oct. 27 were cut off when Israeli forces entered Gaza. Cellular base stations had been destroyed by air raids, severing Internet access. Elon Musk initially announced plans to provide free satellite Internet via Space X Starlink, which was eventually canceled.

At that time, Helbawi promoted donating E-SIMs, worried that disconnected families could not check on each other or receive updates on the battling situations, as she told CNN on Sunday.

A follower suggested the idea when she uploaded her thoughts on Instagram, where she has 0.77 million followers.

Shortly afterward, she purchased an E-SIM and sent a QR code activating the E-SIM to a friend in Gaza via mobile phone. When connections were cut off, the friend successfully activated the E-SIM and spoke to Helbawi.

This became an opportunity for Helbawi to start #Connecting Gaza, a drive to donate E-SIMS, on her Instagram account on Oct 29. Up to now, E-SIMs worth 1.3 million dollars have been sent through various channels to around 20,000 residents in Gaza. “The right to telephone and internet access is a basic human right just as important as food and water. We may now know when the moment of death comes, but we should be allowed to tell our families ‘I love you’ at the very end,” she said.


pep@donga.com