Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Gaza plunged into a complete internet blackout on Thursday after the last main fibre optic cable connecting the enclave was severed during Israeli bombardment.
The territory's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said all of Gaza's internet and landline communications were cut off after attacks on vital infrastructure networks, official Palestinian media reported.
Internet watchdog NetBlocks said its data showed disruption to internet connectivity across Gaza, which was likely to affect search, rescue and aid efforts.
The regulatory authority blamed "the systematic targeting of communications infrastructure, despite numerous previous attempts to repair several severed links", the official Wafa news agency said.
Gaza city and the northern Gaza Strip had been struggling with internet cuts for two days but the latest blackout has isolated the entire enclave, preventing Palestinians from accessing essential services, Wafa added.
The regulatory authority called on the international community to intervene to ensure access for technical crews to safely carry out infrastructure repairs.
It said Israel was preventing such teams from fixing cables and was obstructing access to back-up and alternative network routes. Repeated efforts over several months to reach and repair network connections have been consistently blocked by Israel, the authority said.
On Wednesday, civil defence authorities in northern Gaza said internet blackouts were hindering efforts to identify and reach sites bombed by the Israeli military. “We are facing extreme difficulty in locating bombing sites due to signal outages and the inability of residents to contact us,” they said.
Several media organisations have apologised for an inability to cover the news in the territory, citing the lack of internet access and difficulty in making phone calls.
Some citizens have been relying on eSIM connections but these can require great effort to secure a signal such as by climbing to higher ground or moving closer to the eastern border of Gaza near Israel.
Since the start of the war, telecoms and internet networks in the enclave have suffered continuous disruption due to Israeli attacks or depletion of fuel used to operate electricity generators.
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
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