Is the war on Gaza all about gas?

The Palestinian Territory lies above vast reservoirs of oil and natural gas

I’ve written for UnHerd about the hidden economic dimension of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — and of the recent assault on Gaza. As I write:

Military occupations obviously tend to stunt the development of the occupied territory, and the Israeli occupation is no exception. The fragmentation of the Palestinian territory into two disjointed regions, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank (which is itself internally fragmented); the severe restrictions on the movement of people, labour and goods; the obstacles to accessing international markets, especially following the blockade of Gaza; and, of course, the recurring periods of violence have all taken a very heavy toll on the Palestinian economy, effectively destroying its productive base. The result has been persistently high poverty and unemployment rates, especially in Gaza. According to a 2019 UNCTAD study, without the occupation, the economy of the Occupied Palestinian Territory could produce twice the GDP it currently generates.

But perhaps the most financially destructive aspect of any military occupation is the appropriation of natural resources. And Israel’s is no exception. Most obviously, this has assumed the form of Israel taking control of (or rendering inaccessible to Palestinians) much of the West Bank and Gaza’s cultivable land and water supplies. In other words, despite the establishment of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the Nineties, the Palestinian people have never truly had control over their resources and their economy. This, on top of severe restrictions on the movement of people, labour and goods, has taken a very heavy toll on the Palestinian economy.

But it’s not just about land and water. Not everyone knows this, but the Palestinian Territory also lies above vast reservoirs of oil and natural gas — which Israel has either appropriated or prevented the Palestinians from exploiting. And the most important Palestinian gas field lies… guess where? Off the coast of Gaza. This has led several analysts and commentators to argue that the real reason behind the attack on Gaza is Israel’s desire to confiscate Gaza’s multi-billion-dollar gas resources. But does this explanation really hold? Read the article to find out!

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Best regards,

Thomas Fazi

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