Adalah Demands Halt to Israeli Plan for Gas Exploration in Palestinian Maritime Areas Off the Coast of the Gaza Strip
On 26 April, Adalah - the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel sent an urgent letter to the Minister of Energy and the Attorney General, demanding that they refrain from publishing or promoting a new decision for issuing additional tenders for natural gas exploration in Palestinian maritime areas off the coast of Gaza, and to act immediately to cancel the decision on the matter, due to the severe violations of international law and the rights of the Palestinian people involved.
In its letter, Adalah clarified that the decision includes extensive maritime areas located within the Palestinian exclusive economic zone off the coast of the Gaza Strip. About 1,000 square kilometers of the areas designated for exploration extend into these waters, which means that Israel is effectively seeking to exploit natural resources over which it has no sovereignty or legal authority.
Adalah's letter states that Israel has no legal authority to operate in these areas, neither according to international law nor according to Israeli legislation itself, as Israeli law does not apply outside the state's territorial jurisdiction. It was further emphasized that the right of the Palestinian people to sovereignty over their natural resources, including maritime resources, is a recognized and protected right under international law and constitutes an integral part of their right to self-determination.
In addition, the letter claimed that promoting the decision constitutes a clear violation of international humanitarian law, especially in light of the recognition of the Gaza Strip as occupied territory — as recently confirmed by the International Court of Justice in The Hague — which imposes strict obligations on Israel, including the prohibition on exploiting natural resources in occupied territories for its own benefit. Such exploitation may even amount to plunder, which is prohibited under the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Furthermore, Adalah noted in its appeal that this policy contradicts the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which grants the coastal state exclusive sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone, including the exploration and exploitation of natural resources. Accordingly, any Israeli activity in these areas without explicit Palestinian consent is considered a direct violation of these rules.
The adoption of the plan therefore constitutes an attempt to impose a new reality at sea, which amounts to de facto annexation of Palestinian maritime areas, by subjecting them to Israeli legislation and procedures concerning resource management and exploitation. Consequently, Adalah called for the immediate cancellation of the plan and for avoiding any further steps in this direction.
Adalah’s Dr. Suhad Bishara added that, "It is impossible to separate this plan from the overall accelerated Israeli policy aimed at establishing annexation and control over Palestinian lands and resources in the territories occupied in '67, whether through legislation, the expansion of settlements, or the exploitation of Palestinian natural resources. What we are witnessing today is an attempt to impose a new reality, which this time also expands to the Palestinian maritime area off Gaza, in blatant violation of international law and the decisions of international courts and bodies. This is not merely a violation, but an attempt to establish permanent control over Palestinian lands and resources with the aim of undermining the right to self-determination and the sovereignty of the Palestinian people over their territory and natural resources."
Photo: Flash90
