In light of the continuous interruption of the Internet and communications network during the war launched by the Israeli occupation on the Gaza Strip, Palestinians – especially journalists – resort to using electronic communication cards, “eSIM”, in order to communicate and transfer their news and the news of the Strip to the outside world.
“eSIM” is a communication chip embedded within the motherboard of a phone or smart device that allows the user to use two or more phone numbers at the same time without the need to use a traditional “SIM” communication card.
The chips work according to a simple principle: to operate them, the user must scan the “Quick Response Code” (QR code) sent from abroad using the phone’s camera, which allows him to connect to an external telephone network, often Israeli, and sometimes Egyptian.
According to one of the sellers, journalists and correspondents in Gaza use electronic chips more to convey the correct image to the outside world, and they are also used by civil ambulance personnel who need to communicate to know the locations of Israeli bombing to help victims and recover the wounded.
The electronic chips are also required by members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), who use them in their work.
One of the journalists confirms that without the electronic chips, the Palestinians would have been cut off from the world and no one would have heard about what is happening in the Gaza Strip. He revealed that while performing their journalistic duties, they sometimes conduct live coverage via the “4G” and “5G” networks.
He said that these means help journalists communicate with the outside world and transmit audio and video. Many Palestinian expatriates communicate with them through it to find out news about Gaza and news of their families and relatives.
According to this journalist, after the interruption of the Palestinian telecommunications network, only the electronic SIM cards remained connected to international cellular networks.
For his part, one of the journalists confirmed that the continuous interruption of communications in Gaza forced them to turn to electronic chips, but he spoke of the major problems they face related to picking up signals.
He said that they are forced to go to high places or open border areas in order to send their press materials, a process that requires the availability of strong Internet.
Journalists obtain electronic SIM cards from their friends abroad, such as the United States of America and Europe, where they are sent to them in the form of a “code” and entered into the device. The journalist says that the entry process also takes from two to three hours due to the slow Internet.