I'm not sure about US cell phones and how they work here. You can rent one at the airport with prepaid minutes, I think that's a better option for you.

It's not just for organizing water drops but good to have one it in case you need to make an emergency call.

Your second question: Life goes on in all areas that are not affected by the activities in Gaza. The INT does not pass in that area. How soon is "early 2009?"

...and going North to South.

Yankale's definitely right -- much easier to buy a phone at the airport when you get off the plane. They're not even that expensive. I bought one, with all the minutes I needed, for less than 100 USD last spring. It came with a certain number of minutes, and when you need more, you can just call a free number, give your credit card number, and they'll add as many as you want. The rates back to the States aren't that bad, either. The company at the airport is Pelephone -- you might take a look at their website and see if they'll tell you anything about current rates.

One warning, though: they don't sell phones that take SIM cards, so you'll basically end up with a phone that you can only use in Israel. I go every year, so I use my phone, but you know, I bet you could sell your used Pelephone to someone here on the forums and recoup some of the costs.

binny wrote Actually, they are two separate questions. I don't own a cell phone but I gather that having one to coordinate water drops would be useful. Would my buying a simple prepaid "track" phone in the US suffice for use in Israel?

A cell phone is not just for coordinating water drops. If you need emergency help, particularly in the desert, the cellular phone is your only way to communicate. Don't leave home or Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion) airport without one.