[1] The discovered gas field, Gaza Marine, though mediocre in size, had been considered at the time as one of the possible drives to boost Palestinian economy and promote regional cooperation.
In 1999, the license for the area was controversially granted to the Palestinian Authority by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, but its precise legal standing remains ambiguous.
As a result, when the Houston-based Noble Energy and its Israeli partner Delek took BG Group to court in 2021 to challenge the license area it had been given by the PA, the court abstained from giving a verdict, because, according to the government of Israel, pending a final peace deal, it was the equivalent of “no-man’s water.
[5] Moreover, in 2001, Barak, as a goodwill gesture, adjusted the maritime boundary in the region, ensuring that the entirety of Gaza Marine would be situated within Palestinian territorial waters, rather than extending into Israel's Exclusive Economic Zone.
By May 2002, Sharon lifted the veto after encouragement from British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who believed that purchasing Palestinian gas could contribute to advancing peace efforts during a tense period.
The deal included plans to pipe gas to Ashkelon for liquefaction and distribution, which would support both Israeli and Gaza energy needs, fostering economic interdependence seen as beneficial for peace efforts.
[12] In 2014, PA and Russian officials discussed a possible cooperation between Gazprom and the Palestinian Investment Fund in the field of gas and oil exploration and extraction.
In September 2015, Abu Mazen visited Moscow, where he further discussed with Vladimir Putin the possibility that Gazprom develops Gaza Marine field, but no specific formula was reached.