Israel’s govt continues negotiating gas extraction offshore Gaza Strip – Reports

Jerusalem, May 5 (UNI) The Israeli government is in talks with the Palestinian authorities on the development of the Gaza Marine gas field, located 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) off the coast of the Gaza Strip in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Israeli broadcaster Chanel 13 reported on Friday.
According to the report, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant have greenlighted the negotiations. The Israeli side in talks is led by National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and the head of the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Maj. Gen. Ghasan Alyan.
The Gaza Marine gas field, discovered in 1999, according to estimates, can fully cover the needs of the Palestinian authorities in energy, and some of the extracted gas can also be exported to other countries. However, according to Israeli broadcaster Arutz Sheva, Tel Aviv is concerned about security issues, assuming that the Palestinian militant group Hamas could sabotage the development of the field.
In February 2021, Egypt and the Palestinian authorities signed a memorandum of understanding to develop the Gaza Marine gas field off the coast of the Gaza Strip. In October2022, media reported that the parties, including Israel, concluded a framework agreement to develop the gas field.