Beyond the
ongoing Israel’s war on the
Gaza Strip, characterized by airstrikes and political discourse, broader
concerns emerge regarding resource exploitation. The strategic importance of
Gaza’s natural gas reserves takes center stage, prompting questions about
Israel’s true intentions behind the war. Speculations arise as to whether
Israel deliberately disregarded warnings about October 7, viewing it as an
opportunity to pursue gas agreements that require the removal of Hamas.
اضافة اعلان
Gaza's natural gas significanceA study by the
UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in 2019 confirmed significant oil and natural gas reserves
in the
occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), spanning from Area C of the West
Bank to the Mediterranean coast off the Gaza Strip. These reserves have the
potential to generate billions of dollars in development. Additionally,
discoveries of natural gas in the Levant Basin amount to approximately 122
trillion cubic feet, with recoverable oil estimated at 1.7 billion barrels.
These reserves present an opportunity to distribute and share around $524
billion among the various parties in the region.
However, the study highlighted the
obstacles faced by Palestinians in exploiting these resources due to the ongoing
occupation, resulting in substantial economic losses estimated in the billions
of dollars. The longer Palestinians are denied access to their natural
resources, the greater the opportunity costs and overall
economic impact of the occupation become.
History of Gaza gas development:1) ‘Gaza Marine’ fieldIn 1999, the British Gas Group (BGG)
discovered the ‘Gaza Marine’ gas field. This discovery prompted the signing of
a 25-year contract between BGG and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA),
aiming to exploit gas for energy, including electricity, and
export revenues.
Despite these intentions, negotiations with Israel to finalize an agreement
with the Israeli Electric Company encountered numerous obstacles.
The Gaza Marine gas field, estimated to
contain approximately 1.4 trillion cubic feet of gas, is strategically located
off the coast of Gaza, falling within the 20-mile territorial limit governed by
the PNA under the
Oslo Accords of 1995. However, Israel's stance obstructed any
progress toward its development.
Initially, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
Barak approved drilling activities at the site. However, after Barak's tenure,
negotiations were terminated by
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 2002. In
September 2007, a former Israeli Chief of Staff strongly opposed reaching an
agreement with BGG, leading the Israeli government to explore alternatives that
would bypass the PNA, violating the 1995 agreement.
Subsequently, BGG withdrew from
negotiations by the end of 2007. Israel failed to resume talks in 2008 before
the outbreak of the 'Operation Cast Lead' war, which led to Israel taking
control of the gas fields, disregarding international legal considerations.
Gaza Marine Field talks return shorty before October 7On June 18, 2023, a couple of months
before the war, Israel granted preliminary approval for the development of a
gas field off the strip. The agreement would require security coordination with
the PNA and Egypt. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office emphasized the
importance of preserving Israel's security and diplomatic interests in the
progress of the Gaza Marine project.
However, Hamas reiterated the rights of
the people in Gaza to their natural resources. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem
said, “Our people have the right to know how the authority behaves on major
issues because precedent confirms that it acts without the slightest degree of
transparency, and determines its actions and relations based on narrow partisan
and factional interests.”
Netanyahu knows that Israel cannot
proceed with any gas agreements due to Hamas' rejections. Therefore, it is
speculated that Israel ignored various warnings regarding
October 7, viewing it
as a strategy to develop the projects since they require the ‘elimination of
Hamas.’
Moreover, four weeks into Israel’s war on
the strip, Israel’s Minister of Energy Eli Cohen announced that Israel had
awarded 12 licenses to six companies for the exploration of natural gas off the
Mediterranean coast. Israel's objective was to boost its gas reserves and
progress plans for gas exports to Europe, as the continent seeks new energy
sources.
The licences were granted to two groups
of companies. The first group, led by the Italian Energy Group Eni along with
Dana Petroleum and Israel's Ratio Energies, will explore an area west of the
Leviathan field, a significant source of gas supply for Israel and also
utilized for exports. The second group, consisting of Azerbaijan's national oil
company Socar,
British Petroleum (BP), and Israel's NewMed, will explore north
of the Leviathan.
An Eni spokesperson stated, "The
company was awarded a licence in the country's southern offshore gas basin. Any
technical considerations on the prospects and timing of the activities are
obviously premature.”
2) Russia-Ukraine war reignited
interest in Gaza’s gas
Several media sources reported that the
war between Russia and Ukraine caused a global energy crisis, renewing interest
in developing the Gaza Marine gas field. Officials from various countries held
joint meetings to discuss the project, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
giving it the green light. Notably,
pressure from US President Joe Biden and
Egyptian officials pushed Israel to pursue the project.
The Ben Gurion Canal project revival
During the war on Gaza, the focus also
turned to the
Ben Gurion Canal Project, a proposal initiated by Israel in the
late 1960s. This attention occurred particularly as Israel's tactic of
compelling Palestinians to relocate to Egypt's Sinai by causing casualties and
rejecting ceasefires became apparent.
This project, named after Israel's
founding father, David Ben-Gurion, was envisioned as a strategic endeavor to
reduce Israel's reliance on the Suez Canal and establish an alternative
maritime route under Israeli control. The route would pass through the Gulf of
Aqaba, Eilat, the Jordanian border, and the Arabah Valley before turning west
toward the Dead Sea basin and ultimately connecting to the Mediterranean Sea,
meaning it would go through Gaza.
Hence, Israel's military campaign in
Gaza, coupled with alleged plans to divert the canal through the territory,
raises humanitarian concerns and exacerbates the suffering of Palestinians in
the strip.
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