<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occupied Palestine | فلسطين]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[occupiedpalestine]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/author/hajarhajar/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Israel steals Palestinian West Bank Oil and&nbsp;Gas]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<div id="divNewsDetail">
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<div id="divNewsDatetime"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><span class="st">&#8220;UN resolution 3005 affirmed the principle of sovereignty of the population of occupied territories over their natural wealth and resources&#8221;</span></strong></span></div>
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<div>PressTV | Fri Sep 16, 2011 6:21AM GMT</div>
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<div id="divLead"><em>The Palestinian Authority (PA) has charged that the Israeli regime has been stealing Palestinian oil and gas from a field near the West Bank city of Ramallah. </em></div>
<p>“Israel has recently started unilateral exploration activities in a gas oil field alongside the West Bank borders,” said Abdullah Abdullah, the PA deputy settlement affairs minister, quoted by Xinhua on Friday.</p>
<p>He further reiterated that the Tel Aviv regime has already begun extracting gas from the field, adding that nearly 80 percent of the field is owned by Palestinians.</p>
<p>“Israel is intentionally and secretly stealing the Palestinian natural resources,” Abdullah pointed out.</p>
<p>He also described the move as a violation of the Oslo accord, a US-sponsored agreement between the late Palestinian Fatah leader Yasser Arafat and the Israeli regime, which states that any exploration and extraction of natural resources should be mutually coordinated.</p>
<p>“The PA will not stay cross-handed. We will take urgent procedures that may include suing Israel in (an) international court,” he added.</p>
<p>Tel Aviv has so far refused to comment on the issue.</p>
<p>The Israeli military has, meanwhile, expanded its presence in the region, preventing Palestinian villagers from accessing their lands and farms.</p>
<p>“We observed drilling rigs digging six months ago, then the Israeli media said they have started producing it,” said Salem Odeh, a citizen of the nearby village of Rantis.</p>
<p>Moreover, Israel approved the development of a natural gas field off a coastline of the occupied Gaza Strip back in June.</p>
<p>The Israeli regime justified the move by voicing concerns over severe shortages in its natural gas supplies as the result of interruptions of cheap gas imports from Egypt.</p>
<p>Until the recent popular revolution in Egypt, Israel had been receiving the bulk of its natural gas supplies from the African country.</p>
<p>The supplies, however, have been largely interrupted following the downfall of the US-backed former Egyptian dictator, Hosni Mubarak.</p>
<p>PM/GHN/MB</p>
<p><a href="http://www.presstv.ir/detail/199413.html">Source</a></p>
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