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Behind Israel’s ‘end game’ for Gaza: Theft of offshore gas reserves

iacenter.org Behind Israel’s ‘end game’ for Gaza: Theft of offshore gas reserves

By Betsey Piette November 14, 2023 In 1999, British Gas (BG) discovered the existence of natural gas in the Gaza Marine fields, 20 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza, at a depth of 375 miles.

Behind Israel’s ‘end game’ for Gaza: Theft of offshore gas reserves

In 1999, British Gas (BG) discovered the existence of natural gas in the Gaza Marine fields, 20 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza ... In 2019, UNCTAD estimated the net value of the Gaza Marine natural gas at $4.592 billion

The Palestinian Authority was “granted” the right to exercise sovereignty over its own maritime territory by the Oslo Accords in 1995.

In December 2008, in total contravention of international laws, Israel declared sovereignty over the Gaza Marine area, and BG closed its offices in Tel Aviv.

... Israel continued to prevent Palestinians from developing and benefiting from their natural resources, in clear violation of international law that governs who has rights to these resources when a country is occupied.

Renewed interest in pursuing development of the Gaza Marine field surfaced in early 2022 following the war between Russia and Ukraine, the destruction of the Nord Stream Pipeline, and the sanctions placed on Russia that caused a global energy crisis.

On Oct. 29, Israel announced that it awarded 12 licenses for exploring additional offshore natural gas fields to six companies

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