Hamas clamps down on Gaza’s ‘insecure’Israeli SIM cards

GAZA — Hamas-run authorities in Gaza 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 Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, said there have always been restrictions on the use of Israeli SIMs in the territory, but now they are determined to stamp them out entirely.

Cards from Israel’s two biggest providers, Cellcom and Partner, can be found for sale under the counter in kiosks and shops in parts of Gaza, where they are brought in by businessman and traders returning from trips to Israel.

“These companies are not registered in Palestinian areas and therefore we can’t allow them to operate,” Zeyad Al Sheikh Deeb, director of licensing at the Gaza telecommunications ministry, told Reuters. “They represent an unfair competition to national companies and cause damage to our economy.”

 Partner Communications said it had no business activity in Gaza, pointing out that the pre-paid cards were bought from independent distributors in Israel. Cellcom said it did not market products in Gaza.

Neither company operates in Gaza, where Palestinian firm Jawwal, owned by PalTel, runs the only network. But because Partner and Cellcom have towers just across the border in Israel, their 3G and 4G signals can be reached from parts of the territory that are closer to the frontier or on high ground.

Cellcom’s signal is said to be more reliable, making its SIMs more popular. For 50 Israeli shekels ($13), Gazans can pick up a SIM giving them 5,000 minutes of talk-time and potentially unlimited Internet access via a virtual private network.

By comparison, a Jawwal SIM for the same price provides just 130 minutes of talk-time and more restricted Web access.

Vendors in the Palestinian enclave who stock Israeli cards said Hamas had been trying to crack down for years but had renewed its push. Those caught selling are threatened with “sanctions”, they said.

“We got a new warning,” said one salesman in Gaza city, asking not to be identified for fear of repercussions. “Two weeks ago I got a police order not to sell Cellcom SIMs.”

Freer access

Iyad Al Bozom, spokesman for the interior ministry in Gaza, said Israeli cards presented a number of problems. As well as shifting users away from the Palestinian network, undercutting its revenue, they carry security risks, he said.

“Conversations made via these cards can be stored on Israeli servers and used by the occupation,” he told Reuters, referring to Israel’s presence in all of historic Palestine, which Hamas regards as entirely occupied. Gaza remains blockaded by Israel 11 years after Israeli forces withdrew from the coastal strip.