MyAdhan Blog

Link: Israel jams Lebanese cell phone signals

The head of Lebanon’s telecommunications ministry says Israel and the UNIFIL have caused disruptions to the cellular network of southern Lebanon. Abd al-Monem Yousef met with several local officials in the Lebanese city of Khayyam to discuss the chronic problems with cellular phone reception experienced by residents across southern Lebanon, al-Manar TV reported. Yousef said he and other officials believe the ongoing disruptions in cell phone coverage are related to a 2007 incident involving Spanish forces belonging to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). On June 24 of last year, a bomb attack targeted two vehicles transporting members of the UNIFIL in southern Lebanon, killing six Spanish peacekeepers. Cellular phone disruptions in the area reportedly increased dramatically just one day after the attack. The telecommunication ministry said he believed those disruptions were part of a broader Zionist plan to jam phone signals on the telecommunication network throughout Lebanon. During their meeting, Yousef and the local officials drew up a petition to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to protest what they said was Israel’s breach of international regulations. The petition also objects to Israel’s taking control of radio networks in border areas and jamming civilian cellular phone networks.