Hamas-run authorities in the Palestinian enclave are trying to stop the sale and distribution of pre-paid SIM cards from Israeli cellular providers, arguing the cards pose economic and security risks and allow users to access “immoral” content. Officials from the Palestinian telecommunications and interior ministries, which are overseen by the Islamist Hamas organization, the internationally recognized terror organization which controls the Gaza Strip, said there have always been restrictions on the use of Israeli SIM cards in the Palestinian territories, but now they are determined to stamp them out entirely.
“The Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministry aims at protecting the national companies that work in telecommunications and information technology, and protecting the Palestinian citizen by introducing the best services in the highest quality and the lowest prices. Therefore, the Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministry decided to ban the trading or selling of Israeli SIM cards, because it is considered as illegal competition to the national companies and affect the Palestinian economy negatively, as well as provides services that are neither secure nor safe for the Palestinian citizen, who gets surprised after using it with its bad service that is not suitable for his uses,” said Zeyad al-Sheikh Deeb, Gaza Telecom Ministry – Licensing Director.
The two Israeli companies in question are Partner and Cellcom. While Partner Communications told TV7 that it had no business activity in the Palestinian enclave, Cellcom communications declined to comment. Neither company officially operates in Gaza, where Palestinian firm Jawwal, owned by PalTel, runs the only network, but because Partner and Cellcom have cellular towers just across the security fence, their 3G and 4G signals can be reached from parts of the Hamas-run territory.
“The security forces and the police have been working lately to prevent the use of these (Israeli) SIM cards and warned all those who use them or sell them to stop dealing with those SIM cards because they are dangerous for the security situation in the Gaza Strip and can be used by the occupation and its security forces to violate the security of the Palestinian citizens here and put the security of Gaza in danger,” said Iyad al-Bozem, Gaza Interior Ministry spokesman.
Even though Hamas’ concern for Israel’s ability to tap Gazan cellular lines through the Israeli providers for intelligence purposes, the price difference between the Israeli and Palestinian providers continues to appeal to the poor population of Gaza. For just 12 euros, or 13 dollars, Gazan residents can purchase an Israeli SIM giving them 5,000 minutes of phone-calls and potentially unlimited Internet access via a virtual private network, as opposed to the Palestinian SIM which would provide them with just 130 minutes of phone-calls and a restricted web access for the same amount of money.
“I hope that the companies involved in the telecommunications field and Jawwal company (Palestinian cellular provider) will lower their prices, so young men would not have to buy others,” said Ahmad Mattar, Gazan cellular Shop owner. Israeli security sources say that Israel’s intelligence agency has long been able to eavesdrop on any conversations in the Palestinian territories, regardless of what network is being used, especially among suspected terrorists.