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What does US envoy Hochstein’s trip to Israel mean for Gaza’s offshore gas?

Gaza’s offshore gas field could provide revenue to the Palestinians, but the estimated amount of gas in the area is relatively small.
US Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security Amos Hochstein (R) arrives at the government palace for his meeting with Lebanon's caretaker prime minister in Beirut on August 30 2023. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO / AFP) (Photo by ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images)

US Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security Amos Hochstein traveled to Israel on Monday in a move that could boost prospects for Gaza to develop its offshore gas reserves after the war and seeks to calm tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Monday that Hochstein went to Israel to “follow up” on his Nov. 7 visit to Lebanon. The purpose of the visit was to discuss the “risks of a second front — a northern front” in the Israel-Hamas war, according to Kirby.

The Israeli news outlet Haaretz reported on Monday that Hochstein’s trip will additionally focus on economic revitalization plans for Gaza, including the development of the gas field off the coast of the Palestinian enclave.

Gaza Marine field

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