Microsoft shutting down accounts of Palestinians Skyping Gaza

Microsoft is shutting down email accounts of Palestinians using Skype to call Gaza, an alternative to the expensive international calls that are nearly impossible due to the disruptions created by the Israeli occupation, a recent BBC investigation found, as revealed by the broadcaster on Friday.

The BBC said multiple Palestinians had their Microsoft voice and video chat accounts terminated without prior warning or explanation.

This action is highly detrimental to thousands of Palestinians who rely on the service to contact their relatives abroad, as a paid Skype subscription allowed them to make affordable calls to Gaza amid Israeli-imposed internet outages and restrictions on telecom services.

One person afflicted by this arbitrary action from Microsoft, Salah Elsadi, a member of the Palestinian diaspora in the United States, told the BBC that he’d been using his Hotmail account for 15 years, “and now it’s been banned without any clear reason. They claim I violated their terms of service, and they haven’t told me which terms.”

At least 20 Palestinians told the British broadcaster that they had faced this issue, not only depriving them of contacting their relatives in the war-torn blockaded Strip, but also banning them from accessing important emails, contacts, and personal memories, not to mention those whose email accounts were linked to their work.

Eiad Hametto, who has been calling his family in Gaza from Saudi Arabia, underlined the lack of any political discussions during their conversations. “We are just civilians trying to stay connected with our families. My email account, which I’ve had for nearly 20 years and was linked to all my work, has been suspended. This has destroyed my digital life,” he explained.

Khalid Obaied, another affected individual, expressed his mistrust towards Microsoft. “I paid for a Skype package to make calls, and within ten days, my account was banned without any explanation. It feels like this happened because I’m a Palestinian calling Gaza,” he stated.

In response, a Microsoft spokesperson clarified that the company does not block calls or ban users based on their region or the destination of their calls. They claimed that account suspensions typically result from “suspected fraudulent activity” rather than the nationality or location of the users involved.

‘Israel’ seeking to isolate Palestine

On the eve of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, commemorated on May 17, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) and the Ministry of Telecommunication and Digital Economy issued a joint press release highlighting the theme of this year’s event: “Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development.” 

However, the press release underscored the repercussions of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the continuous violations of human rights, including those related to the freedom of communication and expression.

The statement condemned the Israeli occupation’s deliberate targeting of the telecommunication and information technology sector in an effort to isolate Gaza from the global community.

In further detail, the Israeli attacks aimed to obscure the truths and atrocities of genocide, which are being communicated to the world through various channels, as per the statement.

More than two million citizens in the Gaza Strip have faced severe disruption to telecommunication services on more than ten occasions, as the Israeli occupation has intentionally targeted the sector, the statement revealed.

The deliberate Israeli actions have led to increased suffering, hindering rescue efforts and isolating residents from communication channels necessary for seeking assistance, it added.

The statement stressed that journalists and field reporters have encountered obstacles in their work due to these disruptions, violating international laws and fundamental rights outlined in international conventions.