Hamas attacked a British energy company for pursuing a deal to develop a natural gas field off the Gaza coast. Ziad Thatha, the Hamas economic minister, told the Times of London that any agreement on the gas is equivalent to a modern-day Balfour Declaration, the British government statement that pledged support for a Jewish state in 1917.”When a company sells Palestinian gas to the Zionist occupation, it is similar to acts of theft the Israelis are practicing against our land every day,” Thatha said.Talks over the gas deal are due to begin next week. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it was hoping to conclude a deal “as soon as possible.”
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