Israel considers deployment of Elon Musk’s Starlink in war with Hezbollah
Date
6/26/2024 8:20:37 AM
(MENAFN) Israel is actively considering the deployment of Elon Musk's Starlink satellite network to maintain uninterrupted internet connectivity during potential conflicts with Hezbollah along its northern border, as reported by the Calcalist financial daily on Tuesday. The collaboration between Israel's finance and communications ministries aims to utilize Starlink's extensive constellation of 5,000 low-orbit satellites to safeguard critical data and communication flows, particularly in scenarios where conventional infrastructure may be compromised by power outages caused by hostilities.
While both ministries have refrained from issuing official statements to Reuters on these developments, the groundwork for such contingency measures was laid earlier in February when Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi granted Starlink, a division of SpaceX, permission to operate within Israeli and Gaza Strip territories.
Tensions escalated markedly following the October 7th assault, triggering exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah, a group backed by Iran. Hezbollah's sustained attacks and Israel's retaliatory measures have heightened regional anxieties about the potential for broader conflict. In response, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant recently traveled to Washington to discuss ongoing dynamics related to the Gaza conflict and escalating hostilities along the Lebanese border.
The prospect of a full-scale conflict in Israel's northern region raises concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure, including power grids, to missile attacks. In this context, the deployment of Starlink's satellite network represents a strategic move to ensure continuity in communication channels essential for governmental operations and emergency response during crises.
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