Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, has denounced Egypt’s multibillion-dollar gas deal with Israel, describing it as a clear violation of international law and a tacit endorsement of Israel’s assault on Gaza.
“Egypt can say whatever it wants,” Albanese wrote on Saturday via X. “But purchasing $35 billion worth of gas from Israel violates international law, including the International Court of Justice’s 2024 advisory opinion.”
The deal, she added, is “honestly, an incredible sign of support to Israel during the genocide of the Palestinians.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last week the ratification of the deal, which had been signed four months earlier. “I approved the largest gas deal in Israel’s history—worth 112 billion shekels, with 58 billion shekels going directly to the state treasury,” he boasted.
The deal amends Egypt’s 2019 gas import agreement with Israel, adding 130 billion cubic meters to the contracted volume and extending the supply period through 2040.
The amendment ties export prices to Brent Crude benchmarks, with some adjustments to future phases. According to reports, the current price per million British thermal units stands at $7.70.
The deal has not been without controversy. In September, only a month after the revised agreement was signed, Netanyahu publicly froze its implementation, citing an alleged breach of the Camp David Accords by Egypt for deploying troops near the Israeli border.
However, sources within Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum had previously suggested to Al Manassa that the real motive was Israel’s push to renegotiate prices, seeking an increase of $3 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) above the current rate.
In mid-June, Israel halted gas flows to Egypt amid escalating military confrontations with Iran. The disruption affected fertilizer production and led to a spike in domestic prices. Gas supplies resumed gradually after June 26.
