Egypt annuls gas export deal with Israel

CAIRO - Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company said Sunday that it has annulled an export deal which shipped gas to Israel due to violations of contractual obligations, according to Egypt's Nile TV.

The head of the company Mohamed Shoeb said the government- holding firm, together with the General Authority for Petroleum, annulled the contract with East Mediterranean Gas Company (EMG) which exports gas to Israel, because it has not paid for the purchased gas for months.

"It was purely a business decision," Shoeb added.

EMG, the other party of the contract, was founded by fugitive businessman Hussein Salim, who is in detention in Spain pending extradition.

Salim is accused of involvement in exporting natural gas to Israel at lower-than-market prices.

The natural gas deal between Egypt and Israel was signed in 2005 at a price that critics said was far below the market value.

A pipeline in Sinai sending gas to Israel and Jordan was bombed by gunmen on April 9, the 14th time since last February, close to the time when the popular revolt started.