EGYPTIAN GAS PIPELINE TO ISRAEL AND JORDAN BOMBED AGAIN

An Egyptian gas pipeline in the Sinai Peninsula was bombed early on Monday for the third time since February, sending flames into the sky. There were no immediate reports of casualties, a security official said.

Egypt had resumed pumping natural gas to Israel on June 10 after supplies were halted in April following an attack on a pipeline, Israeli media reports said.

Israel gets up to 45 percent of its gas from Egypt. Supplies were stopped after the blasts on Egypt’s side of the pipeline in the wake of political turmoil following the ousting of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

Egypt said in April it would review its gas contracts with other states including Israel and Jordan.

The exports have long been a contentious issue in Egypt, with the media and ordinary Egyptians accusing Mr. Mubarak’s government of selling gas too cheaply to Israel.

Egypt signed a peace deal with Israel in 1979 but ties have never been very warm.

(Mustapha Ajbaili is Night Editor of Al Arabiya English