Elon Musk faces backlash for visiting Israel and promising to operate Starlink with Netanyahu’s permission

Tech billionaire and the owner of the micro-blogging platform 'X' Elon Musk is facing intense criticism after his visit to Israel amid the ongoing war, where he expressed approval for Israel's actions against Hamas.

Recently, major corporations like Apple and IBM withdrew their advertisements from 'X,' reportedly costing the platform millions of dollars.

This move by tech giants was in response to a post by Musk on 'X' that was deemed 'anti-Semitic' by pro-Israelis.

Even before this recent controversy, 'X' had been under scrutiny for the prevalence of anti-Semitic content on its platform.

Organisations such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Center for Countering Digital Hate reported an increase in hate speech on 'X' over the past year, a trend that Musk had either criticised or denied.

During his visit, Musk accompanied by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu witnessed the destruction at the Kibbutz of Kfar Aza, which had been targeted by Hamas fighters in an October 7 attack.

Musk asserted that Israel had "no choice" but to eliminate Hamas. 

Furthermore, he struck an agreement stating that "Starlink satellite units would only be operated in Israel with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications, including the Gaza Strip." 

This marked a significant shift from his earlier assertion of providing Starlink to enhance communications in Gaza during telecommunications blackouts.

Elon Musk is now facing severe backlash from pro-Palestinians, who criticise him for endorsing the Israeli war and overlooking the plight of thousands of Palestinians.

The hashtag #ElonGoToGaza is trending on 'X,' with people urging Musk to visit Gaza and witness the destruction there, similar to his visit to Israel.

Social media users are sharing images and videos depicting the suffering of Palestinian children harmed by Israelis, who did receive medical treatment and their limbs were amputated in Israeli detention.

The conflict has resulted in nearly 15,000 Palestinians being killed by Israel's bombardment of Gaza Strip. 

Hamas has extended an invitation to Elon Musk to personally witness the extent of violence and devastation inflicted upon the Gaza Strip by Israel. 

The invitation was extended by senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan on Tuesday.