Israel and Palestine Internet Disruptions — October 2023 Attacks

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale attack from Gaza into southern Israel, triggering an Israeli military response and a prolonged conflict. Internet and telecommunications infrastructure in the region were significantly affected from the outset.

In Israel, DDoS attacks targeted government websites, media organizations, and critical infrastructure services. Traffic patterns showed a sharp decline in Gaza as the conflict escalated, with repeated near-total connectivity outages over subsequent weeks as power infrastructure was damaged, fuel for generators ran out, and communications equipment was destroyed.

Gaza experienced multiple extended Internet blackouts through the end of 2023 and into 2024. Each restoration was partial and temporary, with communications dependent on generator fuel availability and intact fiber. Cloudflare, IODA, and NetBlocks documented the connectivity patterns extensively. The disruptions affected not only civilian communications but also humanitarian operations and media reporting from the region.