For 25 years, Israel’s Gaza policies have been motivated not just by security concerns, but by efforts to exploit the Palestinians’ energy reserves. With the ceasefire, these attempts are rapidly escalating. As the Second Intifada was about to begin in September 2000, PLO leader Yassir Arafat celebrated a natural gas discovery in a fishing vessel about 30 kilometers off the Gaza Strip. “This will provide a solid foundation for our economy, for establishing an independent state with holy Jerusalem as its capital,” Arafat said.
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