Egypt on Saturday ceased pumping natural gas to Israel following an explosion in the main gas pipeline near Arish.
It’s unknown yet whether the explosion resulted from a planned attack or a technical flaw. However state-run TV said that "saboteurs" targeted the pipeline.
The 240km-long Arab Gas Pipeline carries gas from Egypt to Jordan and Syria. Official data issued by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation shows that the pipeline transfers seven thousand metric tons of natural gas daily on average.
The pipeline between Egypt and Israel has since 2008 supplied Israel with 1.7 billion cubic meters (60 billion cubic feet) of gas per year–despite angry opposition to the supply deal within Egypt. Egypt provides about a third of Israel's natural gas, according to an Israeli infrastructure ministry spokeswoman.
