An Israeli strike in Gaza City
Israel-Hamas war clouds energy prospects
The threat of a big disruption to energy trade in the Middle East appears to be receding, but the fog of war is casting doubt on projects in the region
The war in Gaza may still escalate beyond the borders of Israel and the Palestinian territories and cause major energy disruptions, but the likelihood of this appeared to have receded by early December as a ceasefire came and went and hostilities remained largely constrained to the Gaza Strip and surrounding areas. Instead, experts say, different tracks of negotiations are picking up, with the entire Middle East in flux and Qatar’s status in particular elevated—as both an energy powerhouse and a geopolitical deal maker. Global oil and gas prices spiked immediately after the surprise attack by Hamas on 7 October, which claimed more than 1,200 Israeli lives and disrupted regional energy trade.
Also in this section
11 July 2025
Equinor and its partners at Norway’s largest oilfield have pulled the trigger on a fresh $1.3b investment that will maintain high output for longer
11 July 2025
Reassessment of the country’s export-facing gas policy coincides with worsening domestic market backdrop
10 July 2025
Without sanctions relief, there is little reason to believe the latest potential attempt at exports from the Russian liquefaction project will be more successful than the one last summer
9 July 2025
Efforts to restructure and boost investment appear to be working, but doubts remain about the plan to almost double crude production by 2030
