The Biden administration is pressing Israel to restore telecommunications access to Gaza amid a massive blackout that has stretched a record six days and left millions of Palestinians without power or internet.
Administration officials fear the blackout will make it difficult for anyone to know what is happening between Hamas and the Israeli military as the war in Gaza continues, potentially worsening an already dire humanitarian situation. The U.S. has “been in touch with the government of Israel over this blackout and have urged them to turn telecoms back on,” said a U.S. official at the White House, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the discussions.
Functionally, no Israeli state means mass ethnic cleansing. Furthermore, people have a right to self-determination.
If Palestinians and Israelis got together and decided to make a single, non-discriminatory state, that would be wonderful. But neither side is interested in that kind of one-state solution.