A Silicon Valley VC Says He Got the IDF Starlink Access Within Days of October 7 Attack

Eyal did not reply to 2 follow-up messages that contained quotes from the webinar and offered Eyal the accidental to close oregon clarify thing that was said.

On October 20, 2023, the IDF launched an offensive successful Gaza that specifically targeted the territory’s net and telecommunications infrastructure. This resulted successful a “complete disruption” of net and cellular connection for the past 2.3 cardinal radical surviving there.

A fewer days later, Elon Musk began what would reportedly go tense negotiations with the Israeli Communications Ministry to supply Starlink entree successful the area. On October 28, Musk said connected X that Starlink would “support connectivity to internationally recognized assistance organizations successful Gaza” successful a reply to US typical Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez drafting attraction to the communications blackout.

Israeli communications curate Shlomo Karhi, successful a quote-post of Musk, said that Israel would “use each means astatine its disposal to combat this,” claiming that Hamas would find a mode to entree and usage Starlink for “terrorist activities.”

“Perhaps Musk would beryllium consenting to information it with the merchandise of our abducted babies, sons, daughters, aged people,” Karhi wrote. “All of them! By then, my bureau volition chopped immoderate ties with starlink.”

Musk replied a fewer hours later, saying, “We are not truthful naive.”

“Per my post, nary Starlink terminal has attempted to link from Gaza,” Musk added. “If 1 does, we volition instrumentality bonzer measures to corroborate that it is utilized *only* for purely humanitarian reasons. Moreover, we volition bash a information cheque with some the US and Israeli governments earlier turning connected adjacent a azygous terminal.”

The Israeli Communications Ministry did not o.k. immoderate use of Starlink successful Israel oregon Gaza until February 14, 2024. At that point, Kahri said successful a station connected X, Starlink could beryllium utilized some successful Israel and astatine a United Arab Emirates–run tract infirmary successful Rafah.

“The usage of the company's services volition beryllium constricted astatine archetypal with broader usage expected successful the future,” Kahri said successful the post.

Eyal mentioned connected the webinar that it is presently "a substance of weeks” earlier Starlink is “launched for Israel arsenic a whole” and disposable to immoderate idiosyncratic oregon business. It is unclear if this entree volition see the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

SpaceX, the IDF, and the Israeli Communications Ministry did not respond for comment.

According to Agence France-Presse, 1,189 Israelis died arsenic a effect of Hamas’ October 7 onslaught connected Israel. Hamas besides took 251 Israelis to Gaza arsenic hostages, of which 58 remain, and 23 are believed to beryllium alive.

Between 53,000 and 62,000 Palestinians person died arsenic a effect of Israel’s subject violative into Gaza that followed October 7, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health and Government Media Office. The nonstop decease toll is unclear, due to the fact that determination is an chartless fig of bodies buried nether the rubble of destroyed buildings. Israel has blocked immoderate nutrient oregon aesculapian assistance entering Gaza since the opening of March, which assistance workers accidental person resulted successful increasingly catastrophic and dire surviving conditions.