BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2,207, July 17, 2023
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: In June 2023, Israel quietly approved the development of Gaza Marine, a small offshore gas field near Gaza that will benefit both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas in terms of revenue and energy independence. Why was the deal approved by the most right-wing Israeli government to date, and how does this relate to the Lebanon maritime border deal from October 2022?
The Gaza Marine gas field was discovered in the late 1990s and is estimated to contain 30BCM. In accordance with international law and a series of agreements made between Israel and the Palestinians in 1999, it belongs to the Palestinian Authority (PA), but it can’t be developed without Israeli approval.