Connecting Humanity

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Connecting Humanity
Founder Mirna El Helbawi
Location
Award(s) Electronic Frontier Foundation award for Championing Internet Access in Gaza
Website gazaesims.com

Connecting Humanity (also known as eSims for Gaza) is an activist collective which provides internet access to people in Gaza using donated eSIMs, allowing them to connect to networks outside of Gaza. [1] [2] [3] It is run by Mirna El Helbawi, an Egyptian journalist, writer and activist. [4] [5] Over 200,000 people in Gaza (around 10% of the population) have received internet access through an eSIM. [6] [7]

Contents

Background

The Israeli Ministry of Communications has control over the cellular communications and technology Palestinians may build, which has been limited to 2G. [1] [8] Direct attacks on telecommunications infrastructure by Israel, electricity blockades and fuel shortages have caused the near-total collapse of Gaza's largest cell network providers. [5] [6] [9]

Lack of internet access has obstructed Gazan citizens from communicating with loved ones, learning of IDF operations, and identifying both the areas most exposed to bombing and possible escape routes. [5] The blackouts have also impeded emergency services, making it more difficult to locate and access the time-critical injured, [5] and have impeded humanitarian aid agencies and journalists as well. [5] [10]

First use of eSIMs

The Egyptian journalist, writer and activist Mirna El Helbawi discovered that eSIMs (a programmable SIM card built into a smartphone [11] ) could be used by people in Gaza to connect to remote telecommunication networks whilst roaming (primarily Egyptian and Israeli networks). [12] [13] [14] The first people she was able to connect by this method were Egyptian journalist Ahmed El-Madhoun and Palestinian journalist Hind Khoudary. [15] [5] [10] The collective currently uses eSIMs from the providers Airalo, Holafly, Nomad, and Simly which are activated by transmissible, one-time QR codes. [16]

Impact

By December 2023, 200,000 Gazans (approximately 10% of the population) had received internet access through an eSIM provided by Connecting Humanity. [17] In 2024 they were recognised by the Electronics Frontier Foundation awards for 'Championing Internet Access in Gaza'. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaza Strip</span> Autonomous territory in the Middle East

The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. Inhabited by mostly Palestinian refugees and their descendants, Gaza is one of the most densely populated territories in the world. Gaza is bordered by Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the east and north. The territory has been under Israeli occupation since 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaza–Israel barrier</span> Border barrier between the Palestinian Gaza Strip and Israel

The Gaza–Israel barrier is a border barrier located on the Israeli side of the Gaza–Israel border. Before the Israel–Hamas war, the Erez Crossing, in the north of the Gaza Strip, used to be the only crossing point for people and goods coming from Israel into the Gaza Strip. A second crossing point, the Kerem Shalom border crossing, is used exclusively for goods coming from Egypt as Israel did not allow goods to go directly from Egypt into Gaza through the Egypt–Gaza border, except for the Salah Al Din Gate, which opened in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rafah Border Crossing</span> Egypt–Palestine border crossing

The Rafah Border Crossing or Rafah Crossing Point is the sole crossing point between Egypt and Palestine's Gaza Strip. It is located on the Egypt–Palestine border. Under a 2007 agreement between Egypt and Israel, Egypt controls the crossing but imports through the Rafah crossing require Israeli approval.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erez Crossing</span> Border crossing on the northern end of the Gaza Strip

The Erez Crossing, also known as the Beit Hanoun Crossing, is a border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel. It is located at the northern end of the Gaza Strip, between the Israeli kibbutz of Erez and the Palestinian town of Beit Hanoun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 breach of the Egypt–Gaza border</span> Explosion set off by Hamas militants

On 23 January 2008, Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip set off an explosion near the Rafah border crossing, destroying part of the 2003 wall. The United Nations estimates that as many as half the 1.5 million population of the Gaza Strip crossed the border into Egypt seeking food and supplies. Due to fears that militants would acquire weapons in Egypt, Israeli police went on increased alert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blockade of the Gaza Strip</span> 2005–present land, sea and air blockade by Israel and Egypt

The restrictions on movement and goods in Gaza imposed by Israel date to the early 1990s. After Hamas took over in 2007, Israel significantly intensified existing movement restrictions and imposed a complete blockade on the movement of goods and people in and out of the Gaza Strip. In the same year, Egypt closed the Rafah crossing point. The blockade's current stated aim is to prevent the smuggling of weapons into Gaza; previously stated motivations have included exerting economic pressure on Hamas. Human rights groups have called the blockade illegal and a form of collective punishment, as it restricts the flow of essential goods, contributes to economic hardship, and limits Gazans' freedom of movement. The blockade and its effects have led to the territory being called an "open-air prison".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Communications in the State of Palestine</span>

The State of Palestine has access to Telephone, Radio, Television, and Internet services; however, it significantly trails behind global standards in these sectors. The communications landscape in the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza Strip is hindered by several challenges, including restrictions from the Oslo Accords, which limit the use of spectrum frequencies for wireless communication without Israeli approval. Consequently, this has obstructed the introduction of modern technology into the Palestinian territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egypt–Palestine relations</span> Bilateral relations

Egypt–Palestine relations are the bilateral relations between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Palestine. Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser was a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause and he favored self-determination for the Palestinians. Although the Egyptian government has maintained a good relationship with Israel since the Camp David Accords, most Egyptians strongly resent Israel, and disapprove of the close relationship between the Israeli and Egyptian governments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tawhid al-Jihad (Gaza Strip)</span> Sunni Islamist Palestinian group

Jahafil Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad fi Filastin was a Sunni Islamist Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip and the Sinai peninsula. The establishment of the group was publicly announced on 6 November 2008, with communiqués vowing loyalty to al-Qaeda, after having "received the messages of Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahiri." Various forms of the "Tawhid al-Jihad" label have appeared in relation to developments in the Gaza Strip. The size of the group is not publicly known. The group have no reported attack since 2012 and is considered as defunct.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamas government in the Gaza Strip</span> De facto government in the Gaza Strip, Palestine

Hamas has governed the Gaza Strip in Palestine since its takeover of the region from rival party Fatah in June 2007. Hamas' government was led by Ismail Haniyeh from 2007 until February 2017, when Haniyeh was replaced as leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip by Yahya Sinwar. Until October 2024, Yahya Sinwar was the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In January 2024, due to the ongoing Israel–Hamas war, Israel said that Hamas lost control of most of the northern part of the Gaza Strip. In May 2024, Hamas regrouped in the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rami Aman</span> Palestinian journalist and peace activist

Rami Aman is a Palestinian journalist and peace activist in the Gaza Strip. Aman founded the Gaza Youth Committee, through which since 2015 Aman has been organizing small-scale video chats between Israelis and Palestinian peace activists in the Gaza Strip in an initiative called "Skype With Your Enemy." On 9 April 2020, Aman was arrested by Hamas at the Internal Security headquarters in Gaza City. He was charged with "weakening revolutionary spirit" for his role in organizing the April 2020 video call with Israelis. He was released in October 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip (2023–present)</span>

On 9 October 2023, Israel intensified the blockade of the Gaza Strip after the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and the ensuing Israel–Hamas war when it announced a "total blockade", blocking the entry of food, water, medicine, fuel and electricity.

The Israel–Hamas war has been extensively covered by media outlets around the world. This coverage has been diverse, spanning from traditional news outlets to social media platforms, and comprises a wide variety of perspectives and narratives.

Manar al-Sharif is a Palestinian Syrian journalist and peace activist.

Hind Osama Al-Khoudary is a Palestinian journalist based in the Gaza Strip. She has reported for multiple media outlets including Al Jazeera English and Anadolu Agency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motaz Azaiza</span> Palestinian photojournalist

Motaz Hilal Azaiza is a Palestinian photojournalist from Gaza. He is known for covering the Israel–Hamas war, drawing a large social media following. In 2023, he was named Man of the Year by GQ Middle East and one of his photos, showing a girl trapped in rubble from an Israeli air strike, was named one of Time's top 10 photos of 2023, and was featured on Time's list of the 100 most influential people of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaza humanitarian crisis (2023–present)</span>

The Gaza Strip is experiencing a humanitarian crisis as a result of the Israel–Hamas war. The crisis includes both an impending famine and a healthcare collapse. At the start of the war, Israel tightened its blockade on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in significant shortages of fuel, food, medication, water, and essential medical supplies. This siege resulted in a 90% drop in electricity availability, impacting hospital power supplies, sewage plants, and shutting down the desalination plants that provide drinking water. Doctors warned of disease outbreaks spreading due to overcrowded hospitals.

The We Want to Live movement is a grassroots youth movement in the Gaza Strip calling for increased economic opportunity and the removal of Hamas from power. The movement was founded in March 2019, giving rise to the 2019 Gaza economic protests. It is not connected to any one political party, and some sources have connected the movement to the Arab Spring of the early 2010s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mirna El Helbawi</span> Egyptian journalist and activist (born 1992)

Mirna El Helbawi is an Egyptian journalist, writer, podcaster and activist. She is the founder of Connecting Humanity, a non-profit organisation that helps people in Gaza to regain access to the internet, using donated eSIMs. She was nominated for the Arab Journalism Award in 2016 and won the Electronic Frontier Foundation award for 'Championing internet access in Gaza' in 2024.

Gehad Hamdy is an Egyptian dentist and feminist activist working against gender based violence. She was named as one of the BBC 100 Women in 2022. She founded Speak Up and is one of the leaders of Connecting Humanity.

References

  1. 1 2 Vo, Lam Thuy (2023-11-07). "'Let Me Tell Them Goodbye Before They Get Killed': How eSIM Cards Are Connecting Palestinian Families – The Markup". themarkup.org. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  2. ↑ Kershner, Isabel; Nereim, Vivian; Shankar, Vivek; Rogers, Katie (29 October 2023). "Gazans had no cell service. An effort led from Egypt helped reconnect them". The New York Times.
  3. ↑ "eSims For Gaza". gazaesims.com. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  4. ↑ "This activist is helping Palestinians get back online in Gaza when connection is lost under Israeli attack". CNN. 2023-12-04. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Español, Marc (2024-01-29). "The Egyptians who have sent more than 130,000 digital cell phone cards to Gaza to defy blackouts". EL PAÍS English. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  6. 1 2 Aly, Rasha (2023-12-17). "Palestinians in Gaza using eSim cards to get around communications blackout". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  7. ↑ "When Gaza lost telephone and internet connection, this activist found a way to get Palestinians back online". The Mercury News. 2023-12-03. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  8. ↑ "Why Gaza keeps losing communications". Washington Post. 2024-01-16. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  9. ↑ Vo, Lam Thuy (2023-11-07). "'Let Me Tell Them Goodbye Before They Get Killed': How eSIM Cards Are Connecting Palestinian Families – The Markup". themarkup.org. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  10. 1 2 Shabana, Yasmin (2023-12-07). "Tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are staying connected to the world via donated eSIMs". Quartz. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  11. ↑ "What is an eSIM? Here's all you need to know in 2024". Saily. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  12. ↑ Collier, Kevin; Abdelkader, Rima (19 January 2024). "Palestinians are using donated eSIM cards to stay in touch with the outside world". NBC News. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  13. ↑ "How eSims are helping thousands in Gaza stay connected amid blackouts". NPR.
  14. ↑ "How eSIMs and social media are helping Gazans stay online". Marketplace. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  15. ↑ Hesham, Merna (2024-03-19). "'Palestinians won't be silenced again!' : Egyptian journalist Mirna El-Helbawi initiative to get Gaza back online". Ahram Online.
  16. ↑ "eSims For Gaza". gazaesims.com. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  17. ↑ Elassar, Alaa; Tucker, Emma (2023-12-03). "When Gaza lost phone and internet under Israeli attack, this activist found a way to get Palestinians back online". CNN. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  18. ↑ "EFF Awards 2024". Electronic Frontier Foundation. 2024-07-11. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
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