Newsweek: Trump’s plan to displace Gaza residents is a cover to control its offshore natural gas reserves
Experts indicated that Gaza’s natural gas reserves may be the hidden motive behind US President Donald Trump’s ambitions to control the Gaza Strip and displace its residents.
According to a report in Newsweek, some experts believe that Trump’s proposal may be a smokescreen to hide his energy policy.
The Asia Times noted last week that Trump’s plan is all about natural gas, while a Bloomberg predicted that reports would emerge linking Trump’s interest in Gaza to his desire to access its natural resources.
While Gaza claims rights to an underwater area containing reserves of natural gas estimated at about a trillion cubic feet, enough to supply the Palestinian territories with energy for a long time, with the possibility of exporting the surplus to other countries, discussions of exploiting the Gaza Marine field have been stalled for two decades due to disputes over drilling rights and licenses.
The latest development before Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 was security coordination with the Palestinian Authority and Egypt to develop the Gaza Marine field.
Some experts believe that Trump’s long-term goal is to control Gaza to gain access to the natural gas reserves in the Gaza Marine field.
However, Brenda Shaffer, an energy expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the US Naval Postgraduate School, said the amount of gas in Gaza isn’t large compared to US needs.
Shaffer added that one trillion cubic feet of natural gas represents only the tip of the iceberg for the United States, which has total proven gas reserves of about 691 trillion cubic feet.
However, this gas could have a significant impact on the lives of Gazans, as it could provide electricity to the Strip for 10 to 15 years, in addition to the possibility of exporting the surplus to Egypt.
However, Shaffer pointed out that developing an offshore field would require huge financial investments, which is a major obstacle.
Some experts described Trump’s idea of controlling Gaza’s gas as the worst idea that won’t work, while others saw it as merely a smart negotiating tactic to achieve broader political or economic goals.
Trump’s proposal for US control over Gaza raises questions about the real motives behind this move, especially in light of the presence of large natural gas reserves in the region.
While some see the goal as enhancing the economic security of the United States, others question the feasibility of this plan, especially in light of the financial and political challenges surrounding the development of the Gaza Marine field.
