Internet out, phone services cut off in Gaza as Israel expands operations

Communications and internet services in the Gaza Strip were completely cut off as a result of heavy Israeli bombing of feeder lines, towers and networks, a service provider said. 

The "landline, wireless and internet communications services were completely cut off amid intense Israeli bombing on the lines with the West Bank, and on the towers and networks", the Palestine Telecommunications Company said in a statement late on Friday.

The company said that the intense bombing late on Friday caused the destruction of all remaining international routes linking Gaza to the outside world.

Ooredoo Palestine, a mobile network operator in the West Bank, also said in a separate statement that its cell phone services were completely cut off from the Gaza Strip as of Friday evening.

There was a sudden halt in services from the Gaza Strip, with the reason unknown yet, according to sources in the Palestinian Ministry of Communications.

A number of television channels that broadcast developments from the besieged Strip are relying on satellites to transmit images and communicate with their correspondents, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Meanwhile, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said on Friday that it had "completely" lost contact with the operations room in the Gaza Strip and with all its crew members working there.

It said it was deeply concerned over ambulance services in the Gaza Strip "since this outage affects the central communications services and impedes the arrival of ambulances to the injured".