Israel's Submarine Cables: Connectivity Amid Conflict

Eight Cables, Seven Cities

Israel connects to the global network through eight submarine cables, with landing points in seven cities along the Mediterranean coast: Ashkelon, Haifa, Herzliya, Nahariya, Netanya, Rishon LeZion, Tel Aviv, and Tirat Carmel. The isolation index stands at 40 out of 100, reflecting moderate but manageable vulnerability. For context, nations with only one or two cables typically score between 70 and 80. However, while eight routes provide resilience, they are not fully redundant, as all bandwidth is concentrated within the Eastern Mediterranean basin. Israel does not have a direct outlet to the Red Sea or the Indian Ocean, a geographic limitation that remains unchanged regardless of the number of cables in the region.

The State and Traffic

GeoCables actively monitors connectivity within Israel through nodes in Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv area, both of which are fully operational. These nodes enable real-time insights into AS-level routing and BGP paths from within the country. Based on open data and GeoCables' observations, Israel operates as a democracy with relatively open internet access. GeoCables has not detected systematic DNS censorship or widespread traffic filtering. However, under national security legislation, the state retains broad powers to intercept communications, and selective blocking is applied during specific military operations. The internal monitoring points allow GeoCables to track changes in routing and connectivity dynamically, complementing external data sources.

War and Its Impact on Connectivity

Over the past 60 days, the signaling environment around Israel has been exceptionally tense. GeoCables monitors five conflict zones: IsraelSouth, Haifa, IsraelNorth, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem. Recent developments include heightened tensions with Iran, strikes on Beirut, and a fragile truce with Hezbollah, alongside reports of Israeli operations in southern Lebanon. Despite the political escalation, GeoCables confirms that all monitored submarine cable infrastructure remains fully operational, with the maximum alert level across all zones recorded at 0.000. This stability underscores the resilience of submarine cables, which are located on the seabed, far from direct conflict lines, unless coastal infrastructure or servicing ports are impacted.

The landing point in Haifa is particularly noteworthy. As Israel's largest port city and a GeoCables monitoring zone, Haifa plays a critical role in the network. During past escalations with Hezbollah, northern Israel, including Haifa, experienced rocket attacks. The cable station in Nahariya, situated even closer to the Lebanese border, represents the most vulnerable terrestrial point in Israel's national network.

Key Nodes: Cyprus and Egypt

Israel's submarine cables predominantly route west and northwest. Cyprus serves as a vital transit hub for systems such as the MedNautilus Submarine System (7,000 km, RFS 2001) and Jonah (2,297 km, RFS 2012). Egypt and the Suez Corridor form another critical node for traffic heading to Asia. Any disruptions in the Egyptian segment prompt global rerouting, affecting Israel similarly to other Mediterranean countries.

Among Israel's eight cables, two - EMC West-1 (3,639 km) and EMC West-2 (3,978 km) - are scheduled for commissioning in 2027. Their activation will enhance bandwidth and provide additional redundancy. Until then, the country relies on its existing infrastructure, including its oldest cable, IC-1 (340 km, RFS 2000), which has been operational for over 25 years. The newest active cable, Blue (5,055 km, RFS 2023), strengthens connectivity to Europe. The status of ANDROMEDA remains unspecified in publicly available sources, with neither its length nor commissioning year disclosed.

What GeoCables Monitors

GeoCables actively monitors all eight submarine cables, with a particular focus on landing points in zones at higher risk of conflict. Key areas of attention include:

• Nahariya and Haifa, due to their proximity to the conflict zone between Lebanon and Israel;
• The EMC West-1 and EMC West-2 cables, under continuous monitoring until their commissioning in 2027;
• Routes through Cyprus, a critical transit hub for connectivity across the Eastern Mediterranean;
• Conflict dynamics in IsraelNorth and Haifa, to assess any potential impact on coastal infrastructure during terrestrial escalations.

GeoCables confirms that all infrastructure is currently functioning normally, with the alert level remaining at zero. However, prolonged conflicts, even in a stagnant state, can incrementally increase risks to cable stations. GeoCables maintains vigilant, ongoing monitoring to ensure network stability and resilience.