'Our hope to help...' Elon Musk's Starlink gets license for Israel, parts of Gaza

Starlink, which will begin selling terminals via an Israeli subsidiary in the coming weeks, will initially restrict sales to a list of approved clients in Israel that include local councils and government bodies.  

Elon Musk's Starlink won a license to operate in Israel and parts of the Gaza Strip after agreeing to a series of measures to prevent Hamas from getting access to its satellite internet services. The Israeli communications ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that the service would be accessible to certain Israeli officials and that the government has approved its usage at a field hospital operated by the United Arab Emirates in southern Gaza.

Starlink will first limit sales to a list of approved clients in Israel, which includes local councils and government agencies. Starlink will start selling terminals via an Israeli company in the coming weeks.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi stated in the statement, "Units in the Gaza Strip to support humanitarian causes will be approved individually, only after Israeli security forces confirmed it to be an authorized entity with no concern of risk or possibility of endangering national security."

In war zones, military troops and other groups are increasingly using Starlink's services to get internet access in locations where infrastructure has been damaged. In the months following Russia's invasion, Musk turned on the satellite service in Ukraine. Starlink terminals are currently being used by Russian soldiers on the front lines, according to Ukrainian intelligence.

Israel will use the service for emergency backup communications, but required assurances from its parent, SpaceX, that Hamas - the group controlling Gaza that's been designated as a terrorist organization by the US and European Union - won't be able to access it. 

On October 7, Palestinian terrorists stormed southern Israel, murdering around 1,200 people and kidnapping over 200 more. This marked the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The Hamas health officials claim that over 28,000 Palestinians have lost their lives as a result of Israel's ground and aerial operations in Gaza.