The announcement of a project to establish gas pipelines to the Gaza Strip, with Qatari and European funding, was a glimmer of hope for the two million Palestinians who have suffered an intractable electricity crisis since Israel imposed its tight blockade on the coastal strip in 2006.

Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh announced that the State of Qatar pledged to provide $ 60 million, and the European Union countries pledged 20 million euros (about $ 24.2 million) to finance the project.

Shtayyeh’s announcement came after a meeting chaired by him, yesterday evening, Thursday, in the presence of Sven Burgsdorf, representative of the European Union to Palestine, and with the participation of the Chairman of the Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, Ambassador Muhammad Al-Emadi, via video conference.

The head of the Palestinian Energy Authority, Zafer Melhem, told Al-Jazeera Net that the delivery of gas to Gaza would "fundamentally solve the electricity problem."

He stressed that "if things go as planned, we as Palestinians will be able for the first time to dispense with the electricity coming from Israel."

Gaza relies on two main sources of electricity: what is known as the Israeli 161 line, which supplies 120 megawatts, and the only power plant that produces about 80 megawatts, and all of them meet less than half of the population's needs, which exceed 500 megawatts.

Melhem explained that the project will provide an opportunity to expand and develop the power plant in Gaza, to be able to produce 560 megawatts, but added that reaching this goal will pass through two phases, the first during which the plant will produce 300 megawatts, and in the second it will produce 400 megawatts.

Other stations

And the Palestinians - according to Milhem - and in the event the project is completed, are looking forward to building other generating stations in the long run, to provide electricity around the clock, and thus completely dispense with other sources of electricity, whether Israeli or "alternative energy means."

The Palestinian Authority will pay $ 21 million a month for an electricity bill to Israel and the power station for only 200 megawatts, while this bill will be reduced to 13 million only if the plant is linked to gas and expanded to produce between 400 and 500 megawatts, and the words of the President of the Palestinian Energy Authority.

Melhem does not secure the Israeli side - when asked about the possibility of Tel Aviv using these lines as a blackmail card - saying, “Israel controls everything, even food and medicine, and we do not have any control over the borders, but we bet on the Qatari and international role to provide the required protection for the project and not to be exposed to a path. Lines or gas supplies. "

According to the designs, these lines will pass at a distance of 40 km through the occupied territories in 1948 under Israeli control, before crossing the borders into the Gaza Strip with a length of 5 km, according to Melhem.

Fate role

In turn, Eng. Samir Mutair, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Electricity Distribution Company in Gaza, explained that a specialized company is currently working on preparing designs and drawings for the route of the mobile lines, and is expected to complete them in September.

Mutair told Al-Jazeera Net, "After that, a tender will be launched for implementation, and it is expected that it will take about two years."

As for the role of Doha, Mohammed Thabet, director of the company's public relations and information department, told Al-Jazeera Net, that Qatar has succeeded, after great efforts over years, in reaching this advanced stage, which constitutes an "important breakthrough" towards a radical solution to the electricity crisis.

Doha has for years been responsible for paying the price of the industrial fuel needed to operate the Gaza power plant.

At the end of last month, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, directed a financial grant of $ 360 million to support the Gaza Strip, to be disbursed throughout the year 2021, and part of it is allocated to finance the station's fuel.

The director of public relations at the Electricity Distribution Company in Gaza relies on the pivotal Qatari role in the speedy completion of the gas pipeline project, but he did not overlook the impact of political and security developments on the project. Based on previous experiences.

Thabet emphasized that this project has a great strategic importance for the residents of Gaza, who spent about $ 1.5 billion on alternative energy means, including private and commercial generators, solar energy and others, to overcome the worsening electricity shortage since 2006.

Gaza gas

For his part, economic researcher Muhammad Abu Jayab, editor-in-chief of Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper, believes that the three-stage project may take 7 years to be fully completed.

Abu Jayyab told Al-Jazeera Net that Israel can be described as a "gas dealer", as it is interested in selling gas, and there is approval from the Israeli political level to sell it to Gaza within the framework of the carrier project.

The researcher does not see any direct link for this project to the new Egyptian-Israeli gas agreement, or the memorandum of understanding between Cairo and the Palestinian Authority to develop the "Gaza Marine" gas field, which was discovered nearly two decades ago off the coast of Gaza, and which has not been developed or utilized due to Israeli obstacles.

He explained that Egypt - which is engaged in a "gas conflict" with Israel and other countries with Turkey - wants to expand its share in the gas liquefaction sector and transport it to Europe, and that the memorandum of understanding with the Authority was aimed at achieving the greatest benefit, and reducing the expenses of marine transport lines from Israel to Egypt and the estimated About 5 billion dollars.

In return, according to Abu Jayab, Egypt will provide Gaza’s gas needs, and the Authority will benefit financially from transporting Gaza’s gas field to Europe.