A cyber attack on the Palestinian Internet network on Saturday evening [11 February] originated in Italy, the PNA minister of communication and information technology Mashour Abu Daqqa told Ma'an.

Palestinian servers and websites have been disabled by a series of cyber attacks in recent months. Abu Daqqa said Internet communications had been disturbed by hackers for three months, but the attacks on Palestinian Internet providers since Wednesday used new tactics to shut down servers.

Earlier, presidential communications adviser Sabri Saidam said huge quantities of emails are being sent in order to disable Palestinian servers. Abu Qaqqa said his ministry will ask Palestinian security services to co-ordinate with Italian security to combat the attack.

While the server is being hacked from abroad, recent attacks on Palestinian websites are from local cyber activists, he said.

Last week, hackers shut down Wafa, the Palestinian [National] Authority's official news agency, and several websites affiliated with Ma'an Network, including its news page. The ministry of communication and information technology have called the national team for information security to convene Sunday morning, he said.

Due to Israel's occupation, Palestine does not have its own connection to the Internet but hires lines from international companies, increasing the country's vulnerability to foreign cyber attack, he added.