Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, December 18, 2025
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, December 18, 2025
Egypt says Israel gas deal ‘commercial’, not ‘political’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
Installations at the Zohr natural gas field off Egypt's coast. (YouTube screen shot)
The head of Egypt’s State Information Service confirms a $35 billion deal to import natural gas from Israel, saying the agreement has nothing to do with politics and serves a strategic interest for the country.
“The deal is a purely commercial transaction concluded on the basis of strictly economic and investment considerations, and entails no political dimensions or understandings of any kind,” SIS chief Diaa Rashwan says in a statement.
“The agreement serves a clear strategic interest for Egypt, namely strengthening its position as the sole regional hub for gas trading in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Rashwan adds.
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
The Times of Israel Community.
JOIN THE TOI COMMUNITY
Already a member? Log in here