Egypt says gas deal with Israel is ‘purely commercial’
Natural gas agreement worth approximately $35bn comes amid frayed relations over Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. By News Agencies Published On 18 Dec 202518 Dec 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Egypt has said that Cairo’s natural gas deal with Israel is a “purely commercial” arrangement and that there are no “political dimensions” to the deal. On Thursday, Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS) said the agreement was struck by private energy companies under market rules and without government involvement. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “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 said 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 added. Egypt’s announcement came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the approval of the gas agreement with Egypt on Wednesday evening and called it “the largest gas deal in Israel’s history”. “Today, I approved the largest gas deal in Israel’s history. The deal is worth 112 billion shekels [$34.7bn]. Of this total, 58 billion shekels [$18bn] will go to the state coffers,” Netanyahu said during a televised address in Israel, alongside energy minister Eli Cohen. “The agreement is with the American company Chevron, with Israeli partners who will supply gas to Egypt,” Netanyahu added. Israel had signed the export agreement in August with Chevron and its partners to supply up to $35bn of gas to Egypt from the Leviathan natural gas field. But according to a report by the newspaper Israel Hayom, in September, Netanyahu had instructed that the gas agreement with Egypt should not move forward without his approval. His instructions came amid Israel’s allegations that Cairo had “violated the peace treaty” signed between the two countries through military deployments in Sinai – claims that Egypt has denied. Advertisement On March 26, 1979, Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in Washington, DC following the 1978 Camp David Accords. Its key provisions include ending the state of war, normalising relations, the full withdrawal of Israeli military forces and civilians from the Sinai Peninsula, and keeping the area demilitarised. According to CNN, Netanyahu’s announcement of the gas deal on Wednesday comes amid pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has been trying to organise a meeting between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Netanyahu. Relations between the two leaders have been frayed, and they have not met publicly in years. Tensions also intensified after Israel’s genocide in Gaza began. Egypt has been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza and played a key role in mediating a ceasefire in the enclave. But the truce is fragile and continues to fray amid a deepening humanitarian emergency across the Strip. Adblock test (Why?)
French anaesthetist jailed for life after poisoning and killing patients
The prosecution accused Frederic Pechier of having ‘used medicine to kill’ at least 12 people. Published On 18 Dec 202518 Dec 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share A French anaesthetist has been sentenced to life in prison after a court found him guilty of poisoning 30 patients during operations, killing 12. The Doubs Assize Court delivered its verdict on Thursday, with prosecutors describing the doctor as “one of the greatest criminals in history”. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Frederic Pechier, 53, was convicted of poisoning patients between 2008 and 2017 while working in two private clinics in the eastern city of Besancon. The victims ranged in age from four to 89. The verdict followed 15 weeks of hearings in a trial that lasted three months, marked by technical medical testimony and emotional accounts from victims’ families. The court heard that Pechier targeted patients treated by colleagues with whom he was in conflict, to discredit them professionally. In some cases, prosecutors said, he intervened to resuscitate patients he had poisoned not to save them, but to conceal his actions. The prosecution argued that Pechier acted to harm and “psychologically damage” healthcare workers he saw as rivals to “feed his thirst for power”. Christine de Curraize, the prosecuting lawyer, said Pechier’s goal in each poisoning was to “witness the downfall of his trapped colleague, to revel in his helplessness” before stepping in to resuscitate patients and present himself as the “doctor everyone admired”. Given the floor for a final statement on Monday, the last day of the trial, Pechier again denied the accusations, repeating a claim he maintained throughout the proceedings. Advertisement “I am not a poisoner,” he said. During closing arguments, the prosecution accused Pechier of having “used medicine to kill”. Pechier’s lawyers said they intend to appeal. He has 10 days to do so under French law. Adblock test (Why?)
India to get its first forest university in THIS city, not in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru or Hyderabad, it is in…
Uttar Pradesh is set to establish India’s first forest university in Gorakhpur, focused on forestry, wildlife and environmental sciences. The university will offer specialised programs in forestry, agroforestry, and conservation. The campus will provide both academic and field-based research.
SEBI’s Digital Gold Caution: What the Regulator Is Really Signaling to Investors
Digital gold has emerged as one of the most widely used entry points into commodity investing for Indian retail investors. It offers fractional exposure, transparent pricing, and the convenience of online purchase without immediate concerns around storage and delivery.
DNA Verified: PM Modi spotted wearing earring while meeting with deputy PM Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said on his Oman visit?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day visit to Oman, and he arrived in on Wednesday. While shaking hands and hugging the deputy PM Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, PM Modi was spotted wearing a white ‘ear-ring’ like thing on his left ear. Several reports claimed that it is a ear-ring.
G Ram G bill, introduced to replace MGNREGA, passed in Lok Sabha, Opposition raises slogans, ‘We want…’
Th new G Ram G Bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha. The bill was introduced by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The bill seeks to replace the 20-year-old MGNREGA Act and guarantees 125 days of rural employment annually.
Ghaziabad SHOCKER: Landlady murdered, stuffed in suitcase by two tenants for asking four month pending rent in Rajnagar Extension
A routine rent collection visit turned into a horror for the owner in the Rajnagar Extension area of Nandgram. On Wednesday, the body of a woman was found inside a suitcase, which was inside the property she owned in Aura Chimaera, Raj Nagar Extension, Ghaziabad.
Good news for Delhi commuters: CM Rekha Gupta’s government set to launch Bharat Taxi on THIS date; Here’s everything you need to know
The Delhi government will launch the Bharat Taxi app on January 1, 2026, offering a zero-commission ride-hailing service. Here’s everything you need to know.
Who is Yasir Ahmad Dar? Ninth accused arrested in Delhi Red Fort blast case, he belongs to…
Yasir Ahmad Dar, the ninth accused in the Red Fort blast case, was produced before the Patiala House Court, which remanded him to NIA custody till December 26.
‘Now we focus on…’: IndiGo CEO addresses employees in video message, reveals 3 actions to be taken next
India’s largest airline IndiGo seems to be back on track as CEO Pieter Elbers on Thursday, in a video message, said that the operation has stabilised, urging staff to focus on their professional responsibilities. IndiGo airline has resumed services. The CEO laid out next action plan.