WATCH | EXCLUSIVE: GAZA’S BLOODY GAS AND OIL

Fri 16 February 2024:

The conflict in Gaza, as well as a surprise Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th, have sparked much speculation and rumour. The attack in Gaza was reportedly planned for two years. So, with some justification, many are wondering why there was such a catastrophic intelligence failure, resulting in the attack catching the Israeli military sleeping on the job.

Israel has vowed to end Hamas’ 16-year rule in Gaza and crush its military capabilities, On Janury 20, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, that he would not compromise on complete Israeli security control over the entirety of the land of Israel, including the West Bank.

So, many people are wondering if it is all about the October 7 incident, or if there is something more sinister going on.

Follow the money: Natural gas discovered

In 1999, British Gas discovered natural gas in the Gaza Marine fields, 20 nautical miles off Gaza’s coast, at a depth of 610 meters below the surface. British Gas’s subsequent exploration, which included two successful wells, Gaza Marine 1 and Gaza Marine 2, revealed that the field potentially hold up to, 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

Oslo Accords 1995

The Oslo Accords signed in 1995, “granted” the Palestinian Authority, the right to exercise autonomy over its maritime area. Four years later, following the discovery of offshore natural gas, the Palestinian Authority granted the international consortium British Gas a 25-year, 90% stake in a license, to explore, develop, and build the necessary infrastructure. Since then, Israel has consistently blocked this development.

In 2002, the Palestinian Authority approved British Gas’ proposals to build a pipeline to a processing facility in Gaza. However, the Israeli government delayed this development, saying that the pipeline should connect to an Israeli-controlled port. Not only that, Palestinians would have to supply Gaza Marine surplus fuel, to Israel at far below market price.

Hamas won

When Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections in Gaza in 2007, Israel imposed a militarized naval blockade, that prevented further offshore development. Around the same time, Yam Thetis, an Israeli gas consortium, disputed the contract award to British Gas, further delaying the process.

In December 2008, Israel declared authority over the Gaza Marine Area, in complete violation of international law, and British Gas closed its Tel Aviv operations.

U.N. study sights Palestinian natural gas reserves

According to the United Nations, Conference on Trade and Development report in 2019, the Levant Basin Province, which covers 83,000 square kilometers of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, and contains 122 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, is one of the world’s most important natural gas deposits. Despite the fact that this reserve is located in waters, bordering occupied Palestine, Lebanon, and Egypt, Israel has claimed exclusive access, and revenues from the discovery.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, estimated the net value of the Gaza Marine natural gas, at $4.592 billion — energy and financial resources, that could go a long way, in addressing poverty in the region.

Gaza Marine importance to global energy

Renewed interest, in pursuing development of the Gaza Marine field surfaced in 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. Joint meetings were held between Israeli, U.S., Egyptian, Jordanian and Palestinian Authority officials, to discuss the project, which was given the go-ahead by Israeli Prime minister Netanyahu, following his reelection. In particular, President Joe Biden, and Egyptian government officials, pressured Israel to pursue the project.

On June 18, Israel gave preliminary approval for the development of a gas field, off the coast of Gaza. At the same time, Hamas official Ismail Rudwan told Reuters: “We reaffirm that our people in Gaza, have the rights to their natural resources.”

Negotiations between Egypt, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority were held, under American auspices, to manage Gaza’s gas, which would be operated jointly, by Cairo and Tel Aviv, with Haamaas and the PA receiving a portion of the revenues, according to a source close to Hamas told London based news outlet New Arab.

US troop facility in Israel’s Negev desert

On the other side, there were some importmant development taking place. Accoridng to the US based The Intercept, Two months before Oct. 7, the Pentagon began building, a $35.8 million troop facility in Israel’s Negev desert, 20 miles from Gaza, allegedly as a radar site, to monitor for missile attacks on Israel. The base is part of a “secret” U.S. military presence in Israel.

According to the New York Times, which cited six top foreign officials, that Israel has quietly tried to build international support, for the transfer of several hundred thousand civilians, from Gaza to Sinai Desert, just across the border in neighboring Egypt.

The inhabitants of Gaza are well aware, as their forefathers experienced with the 1948 Nakba, that once Israelis forcefully expel Palestinians from Palestinian land, returning is a near impossible.

Israel’s war on Palestinians has not halted, the Israeli regime’s plans for additional oil, and gas exploration. On October 29, Israel announced that six companies, including British Petroleum and Italian energy giant Eni, had received 12 licenses to explore additional offshore natural gas fields. These awards demonstrate, that Israel has no intention of letting the genocide it is doing against the Gazan people, interfere with its ongoing theft of Palestinian resources.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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