President Donald Trump‘s plan to takeover Gaza and build it up into the “Riviera of the Middle East” is unlikely to heavily involve the natural gas reserves in the Gaza Marine Field, an expert told Newsweek.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment by email on Friday for comment.
Why It Matters
Last week, Trump suggested that the United States could take control of the Gaza Strip and relocate its Palestinian residents to neighboring Egypt or Jordan. He said that he would consider turning Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” which would involve eliminating the threat of the militant group Hamas and bringing stability to the region amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The idea has divided experts, with some calling it “the worst idea” that “does not work,” while others have suggested that the plan is a “clever negotiation tactic.”
However, some have suggested that the plan is a smokescreen for energy policy. The Asia Times last week wrote that Trump’s plan is “all about natural gas,” while Bloomberg energy and commodities columnist Javier Blas quipped on Wednesday that he was waiting for the “first terrible hot take claiming that President Trump is after the natural gas of Gaza.”
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
What To Know
Gaza has claim over a swath of underwater territory with natural gas reserves of around 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, which is enough to power the Palestinian territories with additional potential to export.
The discussion to determine how best to utilize the field has continued for over two decades, with minimal progress as drilling rights and licenses faced debate and delays at various turns. The most recent development prior to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel saw the Middle Eastern country approve the preliminary development of the Gaza Marine Field, seeking security coordination with the Palestinian Authority and Egypt, according to Reuters.
Hamas official Ismail Rudwan at the time told the outlet: “We reaffirm that our people in Gaza have the rights to their natural resources.”
Some have suggested that Trump’s long-term goal is to take control of Gaza to gain access to the natural gas in the Gaza Marine Field, but Brenda Shaffer, an energy expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, told Newsweek that the work required would not be worth the returns.
Of the 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, Shaffer said: “That’s not a lot of gas. I know it sounds like a lot, a trillion, but if you look up how much the U.S. consumes a day…it’s really small.”
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said that in 2023 the U.S. consumed around 376 million gallons of finished motor gasoline per day—around 8.94 million barrels per day.
The U.S. as of the end of 2022 had total gas proved reserves of about 691 trillion cubic feet, making the 1 trillion cubic feet from Gaza a virtual drop in the bucket for the U.S., while it would prove life-changing for Gaza itself.
“What’s good about the Gaza Marine Field is that it can provide electricity for Gaza for about 10 to 15 years,” Shaffer said. “It could be a source of gas—Egypt has a sort of systemic gas crisis that’s been going on for a couple years. It could provide some extra volumes to Egypt quite quickly, but there would be the finance problem, because to develop a field offshore, it’s a lot of money, and the question is: Who’s going to pay for that?”
Shaffer added that developing the area would long-term help Israel since it would ease the burden on Israel to help supply Gaza with energy. Prior to the war, about half of Gaza’s electricity came from Israel, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
“Essentially, development of Gaza Marine Field would help Israel as well, because it could relieve it of having to give free electricity to the Gaza Strip,” Shaffer said.
What Happens Next?
Middle East allies have roundly rejected Trump’s plan, but the president remains committed to it—for now.
