The Israeli military campaign has severely impacted internet and mobile connectivity in Gaza, leaving Palestinians abroad reliant on services like Skype to stay in touch with their families. However, Microsoft’s recent decision to close email accounts without warning has left many Palestinians devastated, losing access to years of emails, contacts, and memories.
Microsoft claims that the affected users violated its terms of service, but the Palestinians argue that they have no ties to Hamas and are being unfairly persecuted. Salah Elsadi, a Palestinian living in the US, has been locked out of his online life, missing out on job offers and access to his bank accounts tied to his Hotmail account.
Eiad Hametto, calling his family from Saudi Arabia, expressed his frustration at having his email account suspended after nearly 20 years, impacting his work and personal life. Microsoft has not directly addressed accusations of labeling users as Hamas affiliates but stated that blocking in Skype can occur in response to suspected fraudulent activity.
Despite efforts to appeal and seek answers from Microsoft, many affected Palestinians have received the same blanket response, leading to a loss of trust in the tech giant. Khalid Obaied from Belgium expressed his disappointment, stating, “I don’t trust them anymore. They have never provided a reason. That means it’s only because I’m a Palestinian calling Gaza.”
