To read more of The Economist’s data journalism visit our Graphic detail page. ON OCTOBER 9TH, two days after Hamas attacked Israel from the Gaza Strip, Israel tightened its blockade of the territory. Internet connectivity in Gaza, which is always lower than in Israel and the rest of the Middle East, tumbled . On October 27th, as the Israel Defence Forces launched a ground assault, it fell further.
It has also banned technology upgrades that would make connections more secure. As a result, mobile-internet providers can offer only 2G connections. They are much slower than the 5G connections to which most Israelis have access. In some areas of Gaza there is no internet connectivity at all. In others the internet will be usable but slow. In places that used to have several functioning fibre-optic cables and internet-service providers, there is now just one.