Gaza Marine is a natural gas field off the coast of the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Marine natural gas field is located in water about 36 kilometres (22 mi) offshore at a depth of 2,000 feet (610 m).[1] The field was discovered in 2000 by BG Group and it is estimated to contain more than 1 trillion cubic feet (28.32 km3) of natural gas.
On 18 June 2023, the Israeli government gave preliminary approval for its development, while requiring security coordination with the Palestinian Authority and Egypt.[2]
History
In 1999, BG Group was granted an exploration license by the Palestinian National Authority. The field was discovered in 2000. It is estimated that the Gaza Marine field contains upwards of 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, more than is needed to power the Palestinian territories, with potential to export.[2][3]
For many years after discovery, security and economic negotiations delayed its development. Two of the main parties involved in the negotiations are the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) and Egypt, which seek to convert the natural gas into liquefied natural gas to export.[1] The gas field remains unexploited for political and historical reasons; however, when it was first discovered, media coverage projected it to be a subject that could offer benefits to both Israelis and Palestinians, potentially leading to cooperation and negotiation between both parties.[3]
On 18 June 2023, the Israeli government gave preliminary approval for its development, although under the Oslo Accords, the gas field is legally under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority. Israel's ability to decide the fate of the offshore resources of the Strip—such the Gaza Marine—is the result of prior diplomatic talks as well as the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip (which the U.N. and many other international organizations call illegal), due to the administrative apparatus and military blockade of the Strip.[4][5][6][7]
Ownership and access disputes
Israel and the Palestinian territories are situated in close proximity to several other countries: Lebanon and Syria are to the north, while Cyprus, an island that rests nearby in the Mediterranean Sea, is to the west, just below Turkey (see 2018 Cyprus gas dispute). To the south is Egypt, a major energy supplier to Israel. The gas fields that lie under the Mediterranean do not conform to national borders. Lebanon and Egypt objected to Israel's claims to certain gas fields, and Israel has tightened ties with Cyprus over gas field negotiations. Regionally, the discovery of gas fields has led to increased tension between these closely placed countries.[3]
Maritime law and Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories also complicates the question of who owns the Gaza Marine gas field. It is legally under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority as a result of the Oslo Accords,
References
- ^ a b Henderson, Simon (March 2014). "Natural Gas in the Palestinian Authority: The Potential of the Gaza Marine Offshore Field". Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 53 (3): 296.
- ^ a b "Israel gives nod to Gaza Marine gas development, wants security assurances". Reuters. 18 June 2023.
- ^ a b c Antreasyan, Anaïs (2013). "Gas Finds in the Eastern Mediterranean: Gaza, Israel, and Other Conflicts". Journal of Palestine Studies. 42 (3 Spring 2013): 29–47. doi:10.1525/jps.2013.42.3.29.
- ^ "Commission of Inquiry finds that the Israeli occupation is unlawful under international law". United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. 20 October 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "Dismantling Israel's Illegal Occupation is a Sine Qua Non for Palestinian Right to Self-determination: Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Occupied Palestinian Territories". United Nations. 27 October 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "Israel's Occupation: 50 Years of Dispossession". Amnesty International. 7 June 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ Elai Rettig, Benny Spanier (17 July 2023). "Why Israel Approved Development of the Gaza Marine Gas Field". The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (BESA). Retrieved 13 June 2024.
This page was last edited on 21 June 2024, at 02:59