The list below, which was submitted to the EU in Brussels, reveals Israeli plans to relieve Gaza’s water shortage by building a new desalination plant for $710m, connecting Gaza to Israel’s natural gas line, connecting to a new power line, known as the 161 kV line, doubling of the capacity of Gaza’s sewage treatment plant and much more.

By Eylon Aslan-Levy

Israel presented an international committee coordinating Palestinian development aid with a $1 billion list of major infrastructure projects designed to relieve an urgent humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, with a request for international financing, at a meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) in Brussels on Wednesday.

According to a document detailing the proposed projects obtained exclusively by i24NEWS, Israel has put forth a plan for a large desalination plant in the Gaza Strip at a cost of $710 million.

The ‘Israeli’ Carlsbad Desalination Plant in California. – Photo: IDE TECHNOLOGIES

The document reveals that Israel is seeking $36 million to expand the Gaza Strip’s connection to the electric grid with a new power line, and $80 million to progress with a major project to connect the coastal enclave to natural gas from Israeli gas fields.

Signaling a major shift in policy, the document also reveals an un-costed plan to expand the Erez border crossing — currently only a pedestrian crossing — to facilitate the transfer of commercial goods in and out of Gaza.

The list was presented to donor countries at the AHLC by Israeli Major-General Yoav Mordechai, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the defense ministry unit which coordinates with the international community on all civilian, humanitarian, and infrastructure matters relating to the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

According to Haaretz, Israeli Regional Cooperation Minister Tzahi Hangebi, who together which Mordechai represented Israel at the Brussels confab, told attendees that implementing the plans would require the Palestinian Authority to take full responsibility for civil affairs in the Gaza Strip, which has been under Hamas control since 2007.

The AHLC is a conference of the major donor countries to the Palestinian Authority, chaired by Norway, which meets twice yearly. But an emergency session of the committee was convened by Norway and the European Union on Wednesday, citing the “urgent need” to expedite progress towards a negotiated two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as the need to enable the Palestinian Authority to resume full control of the Gaza Strip.

The meeting comes as the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, warned that “we are on the verge of a total systems collapse in Gaza, with the full collapse of the economy [and] social services”.

The Israeli document stipulates that the Gaza Central Desalination Plant and associated infrastructure will cost $710 million, with $250 million in additional funding still needed. The plant will provide 55 million m³ of water to alleviate Gaza’s protracted water shortage.

The Palestinian Authority estimates that 97% of the Strip’s groundwater is not potable, contaminated with seawater and sewage, and has begun groundwork for the plant. Israel has committed to allowing necessary materials to enter, and Kuwait has donated $50m for construction.

The document reveals other Israeli plans to relieve Gaza’s water shortages in coordination with the PA and with international support, including plans for atmospheric water units (to create water out of humid air), water reclamation, and the doubling of the capacity of the Northern Gaza Emergency Sewage Treatment plant.

Electricity on the way to the Palestinians – Photo: IsraelandStuff/PP

Israel also raised the need for $80 million to advance the connection of the Gaza Strip to natural gas, a major international project designed to meet Gaza’s energy needs. In addition, it sought $36 million to connect the Gaza Strip to a new power line, known as the 161 kV line, which the Office of the Quartet considers an important measure to bridge Gaza’s needs until the gas pipeline is up and running.

The line is estimated to ultimately deliver 100 MW, almost doubling the total electricity provision from Israel to the Gaza Strip, and to reduce the Palestinian Authority’s energy bills for Gaza. Also in the energy sector, Israel flagged the need for $31.5 million for various solar energy projects in the Gaza Strip to top-up these initiatives.

Finally, the document reveals that Israel is promoting marine agriculture for Gaza, vis-à-vis the installation of fish cages in the Mediterranean Sea to help support local fishermen despite restrictions on how far the Israeli Navy permits them to fish off the Gazan coast. It further hints that Israel intends to facilitate a ‘monitored industrial zone’, to promote industrial production inside the Gaza Strip and help its ailing economy.

An Israeli diplomat present at the AHLC Conference told i24NEWS that none of the donor countries made immediate pledges at the conference to meet the funding shortfall, despite an EU pledge for €42.5 million to support Palestinian state-building, including €15 million to support the Palestinian presence in East Jerusalem.

Below is the full list of projects, according to the document seen by i24NEWS:

Energy Sector:

View original i24NEWS publication at:
http://www.israelhayom.com/2018/02/01/palestinians-fume-as-us-peace-plan-seeks-to-reduce-pa-presence-in-jerusalem/