Pipeline carrying gas from Egypt to Israel and Jordan blown up

PanARMENIAN.Net - The pipeline meant to carry gas from Egypt to Israel and Jordan was attacked for the 15th time in more than a year, according to JTA.

An explosion occurred on Sunday, July 22 morning, east of El Arish in the northern Sinai Peninsula, Reuters reported. Explosives placed under the pipeline, just before it branches out to send gas to both Israel and Jordan, were detonated remotely, witnesses said.

There have been no exports of gas to Israel or Jordan since an attack on the pipeline in April.

Egypt unilaterally canceled its natural gas agreement with Israel in late April, reportedly abrogating the original Egypt-Israel peace treaty of 1979.

The 2005 deal between the governments of Israel and Egypt promised that Cairo would allocate 7 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Israel for 20 years, with an option to double the amount. The 1979 peace treaty had required Egypt to supply Israel with oil; it was later amended to natural gas.

Attacks on the pipeline have been carried out since uprisings began in February 2011 against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who was deposed. No arrests have been made in any of the attacks.

The supply of gas to Israel has been halted numerous times in the last year, leading to a scramble to find alternate fuel sources to produce electricity that are more expensive.

Egypt supplied Israel with more than 40 percent of its natural gas needs to produce electricity; electricity prices have risen by more than 20 percent in Israel since the attacks began.