Internet restored in Gaza after 3 days: Palestinian telecom official

"The network is up now in all of the Gaza Strip," said the regulatory body's CEO Laith Daraghmeh.

The Palestinian Authority's telecommunications ministry reported on Thursday that internet and fixed-line communications were down after Israeli forces targeted a fibre optic cable, a claim Israel has not commented on.

The ministry said that its maintenance and repair teams had at first been unable to safely access the sites where the damage occurred.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said on Thursday that the internet outage hindered its operations by impeding communication with first responders in the field, also blaming Israel for the blackout.

Now in its 21st month, the war in Gaza has caused massive damage to infrastructure including water mains, power lines and roads across the Palestinian territory.