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The National
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
EU risks international law breach with Israel gas deal, campaigners say
An investigation by Global Witness, an international NGO that focuses on the environment and human rights, has claimed the deal "tramples over Palestinian rights" and helps "bankroll Israel's genocide in Gaza". The gas deal was signed in 2022 in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as the EU took a clear stance on ending "the era of Russian fossil fuels" and sought to diversify its gas supply. According to Israel's energy ministry, the agreement enables substantial Israeli gas exports to Europe. The route for this gas to be exported from Israel to the EU relies on a pipeline, operated in part by a subsidiary of US oil giant Chevron, which crosses Palestinian territory without regard for international conventions. READ MORE: Protest announced for Donald Trump's UK state visit The deal signed between Israel, Egypt and the EU, which has come up for renewal this June, is likely to make the EU complicit in breaches of international law, the investigation said. Campaigners are calling for member states to immediately end imports of Israeli gas, and for all state and corporate actors involved in the running of the pipeline to be held legally accountable. Sarah Biermann Becker, senior investigator at Global Witness, said: "Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the EU has tried to position itself as a defender of human rights, but its continued business with Israel exposes a deplorable double standard. 'What we've effectively seen is the EU swapping out one human rights abuser for another – pursuing a gas deal that tramples over Palestinian rights and effectively helps bankroll Israel's genocide on Gaza. 'As Israel's relentless and brutal aggression towards the Palestinian people shows no sign of abating, the EU must act – it must halt all gas imports via the EMG pipeline immediately and cancel the trade agreement. The EU's complicity in Israel's human rights violations must end now.' Global Witness said it received in-depth legal advice from expert lawyers outlining multiple possible breaches of international law posed by the pipeline. Expert lawyers outlined that if the EMG pipeline breaches international law, the EU would also be complicit in these breaches – through both the gas deal itself and through purchase of gas transported through the pipeline. READ MORE: BBC breached editorial guidelines in Gaza documentary, review finds Speaking in a personal capacity, MEP Lynn Boylan, who chairs the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Palestine, said: "This shameful deal should never have been signed. 'As we see the Israeli Government and the US Government openly discussing a resource grab in Gaza, the EU cannot be complicit and must now take the opportunity to end this shameful agreement once and for all."
The National
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
EU risks international law breach with Israel gas deal, campaigners
An investigation by Global Witness, an international NGO that focuses on the environment and human rights, has claimed the deal "tramples over Palestinian rights" and helps "bankroll Israel's genocide in Gaza". The gas deal was signed in 2022 in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as the EU took a clear stance on ending "the era of Russian fossil fuels" and sought to diversify its gas supply. According to Israel's energy ministry, the agreement enables substantial Israeli gas exports to Europe. The route for this gas to be exported from Israel to the EU relies on a pipeline, operated in part by a subsidiary of US oil giant Chevron, which crosses Palestinian territory without regard for international conventions. READ MORE: Protest announced for Donald Trump's UK state visit The deal signed between Israel, Egypt and the EU, that has come up for renewal this June, is likely to make the EU complicit in breaches of international law, the investigation said. Campaigners are calling for member states to immediately end imports of Israeli gas, and for all state and corporate actors involved in the running of the pipeline to be held legally accountable. Sarah Biermann Becker, senior investigator at Global Witness, said: "Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the EU has tried to position itself as a defender of human rights, but its continued business with Israel exposes a deplorable double standard. 'What we've effectively seen is the EU swapping out one human rights abuser for another – pursuing a gas deal that tramples over Palestinian rights and effectively helps bankroll Israel's genocide on Gaza. 'As Israel's relentless and brutal aggression towards the Palestinian people shows no sign of abating, the EU must act – it must halt all gas imports via the EMG pipeline immediately and cancel the trade agreement. The EU's complicity in Israel's human rights violations must end now.' Global Witness said it received in-depth legal advice from expert lawyers outlining multiple possible breaches of international law posed by the pipeline. Expert lawyers outlined that if the EMG pipeline breaches international law, the EU would also be complicit in these breaches – through both the gas deal itself and through purchase of gas transported through the pipeline. READ MORE: BBC breached editorial guidelines in Gaza documentary, review finds Speaking in a personal capacity, MEP Lynn Boylan, who chairs the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Palestine, said: "This shameful deal should never have been signed. 'As we see the Israeli Government and the US Government openly discussing a resource grab in Gaza, the EU cannot be complicit and must now take the opportunity to end this shameful agreement once and for all."
The Guardian
13-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
EU risks breaking international law over Israel gas deal, say campaigners
The EU is 'trampling over Palestinian rights' and risks breaching international law, over an energy deal signed with Israel to bring more gas to Europe, a campaign group has said. A report by Global Witness shared exclusively with the Guardian concludes that the EU could be 'complicit in breaches of international law' over a 2022 energy deal linked to gas imports from a pipeline said to traverse Palestinian waters. The NGO has called on the EU to cancel all gas imports linked to the East Mediterranean Gas (EMG) pipeline and terminate the 2022 deal, which was also signed with Egypt. The spotlight on the EU's energy ties with its Middle Eastern ally comes after the European Commission concluded there were 'indications' Israel was in breach of human rights obligations over the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of its war in Gaza and rampant Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. While the EU is facing growing calls to cancel completely or in part its trade and cooperation agreement with Israel, Europe's energy relationship with Israel has attracted little attention, notably a gas deal that appears to have been automatically rolled over last month. The European Commission signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Israel and Egypt in June 2022, with the aim of 'enabling a stable delivery of natural gas to the EU'. It was sealed a few months after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as the EU was racing to secure alternative energy suppliers. Global Witness contends that the EMG pipeline, which runs parallel to the Gaza coastline, plays an important role in enabling gas exports to Europe from Egypt. The 56-mile (90km) pipeline transports gas from Ashkelon in Israel to Arish in Egypt, where it is then processed into liquefied natural gas for export, including to Europe. The NGO claims the EMG pipeline runs through Palestinian waters. Its work is guided by a legal opinion drafted pro bono by two barristers at the London-based Garden Court Chambers. Zehrah Hasan, a human rights barrister and co-author of the opinion, told the Guardian: 'Israel unilaterally constructed and operated the pipeline without the consent of the Palestinian authorities, and Palestine hasn't been afforded the opportunity to stipulate any financial, environmental or regulatory conditions. 'So in our view that was another example of how Israel is very likely breaching international law in its continued denial of Palestinian sovereignty. 'There's a very strong basis to contend that the EU is likely in violation of customary international law and EU law by signing and continuing the MoU.' Hasan has a Palestinian flag on her social media profile, but is said to have carried out the work in line with her regulatory duties to act independently. Israel has previously described Palestine's claimed maritime zone as 'legally invalid'. Israel's mission to the EU in Brussels and foreign ministry in Jerusalem did not respond to requests for comment. Nor did Palestine's mission to the EU. Gleider Hernández, a professor of public international law at KU Leuven, who was not involved in the study, told the Guardian that he believed Global Witness 'arrive at what is probably the correct conclusion' about a risk of breaching international law. He cautioned, however, that the analysis relied on Palestine's statehood being established. Irrespective of Palestinian statehood, he pointed to Israel's obligations as an occupying power under the fourth Geneva convention not to exploit the territory purely for its own benefit, ignoring the inhabitants. He said: 'In building a pipeline in the area concerned, Israel is probably committing an unlawful act … And then the question becomes … is the EU breaching one of its obligations vis-à-vis international law by having signed the MoU. And there, I think so … Even though the gas would not be directed to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, it would constitute a sort of toleration of Israel's misuse of its prerogatives as the occupying power.' The law professor also pointed to the landmark opinion from the UN's international court of justice (ICJ) in July 2024 that ordered Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories as soon as possible. In that non-binding opinion, the court called on other countries not to recognise the occupation as lawful or assist it. 'Thus the construction of [the pipeline] very well may be a breach of the obligations identified by the court also with respect to third actors such as the EU,' he said. The situation, he added, 'did not become unlawful in 2024', but 'the international court simply recognised the situation of illegality that had been in existence for some time before then'. As to whether the EU should have signed the agreement in 2022, he said: 'I would have said don't do it.' Barry Andrews, an Irish centrist MEP, who chairs the European parliament's development committee, told the Guardian via email: 'Given Israel's persistent illegal occupation of Palestine, the legal warnings of the international court of justice in its advisory opinion issued last year and the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the EU risks being in breach of its international legal obligations by continuing with this energy cooperation.' Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion He called for an urgent review of the MoU 'with a view to suspension, reaffirming our commitment to upholding international law and human rights'. Sarah Biermann Becker, a senior investigator at Global Witness, said: 'Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the EU has tried to position itself as a defender of human rights, but its continued business with Israel exposes a deplorable double standard.' She accused the EU of 'pursuing a gas deal that tramples over Palestinian rights' and which 'effectively helps bankroll Israel's genocide on Gaza'. The ICJ is considering the charge that Israel has committed genocide, and the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, has used the term since January 2024. The criticism of the energy deal comes before an EU meeting on 15 July when foreign ministers expect an update from the EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, on her talks with Israel's government. Kallas said she would talk to her Israeli counterpart about the findings of the unprecedented review of the EU-Israel association agreement. Since the EU found 'indications' of human rights violations, Israel has ramped up its offensive, adding to the death toll that now stands at more than 57,000 people, mostly civilians. The retaliatory war was launched after Hamas militant attacks on 7 October 2023 killed 1,219 people and took 251 hostage. Since then nearly the entire 2.3 million population of Gaza has been displaced and the territory reduced to ruin. The MoU was due to be extended automatically in mid-June this year. The European Commission did not respond to repeated questions about the agreement. Announcing the trilateral deal in June 2022, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said she was 'grateful that Israel will increase its supply of energy to the EU'. Israel's then energy minister, Karine Elharrar, hailed the agreement as historic and said it enabled Israel 'for the first time to export Israeli natural gas to Europe'. It was, she said, 'another step towards positioning Israel as a natural gas superpower' and 'a diplomatic lever'. Between 2020 and 2024 nearly 9bn cubic metres of LNG was exported from Egypt to Europe, according to Global Witness analysis of Rystad Energy data. Spain, Italy and France were the top importers of the gas, buying around half, worth $9bn. The campaign group argues that most Israeli gas to Egypt goes via the EMG pipeline, as it is the most direct route with the biggest capacity. While it is not possible to trace the exact molecules from Israel to the EU, Global Witness contends that additional gas from Israel to Egypt enables exports to the EU. The MoU shows an intention, the NGO states, 'to further support and enable the export of Israeli gas to the EU'. Gas flows have continued largely uninterrupted during the massive upsurge in violence. Israel suspended operations at two gas fields supplying Egypt and Jordan last month, hours after launching surprise airstrikes against Iran. Operations were resumed nearly two weeks later.
The Guardian
12-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
EU risks breaking international law over Israel gas deal, say campaigners
The EU is 'trampling over Palestinian rights' and risks breaching international law, over an energy deal signed with Israel to bring more gas to Europe, a campaign group has said. A report by Global Witness shared exclusively with the Guardian concludes that the EU could be 'complicit in breaches of international law' over a 2022 energy deal linked to gas imports from a pipeline said to traverse Palestinian waters. The NGO has called on the EU to cancel all gas imports linked to the East Mediterranean Gas (EMG) pipeline and terminate the 2022 deal, which was also signed with Egypt. The spotlight on the EU's energy ties with its Middle Eastern ally comes after the European Commission concluded there were 'indications' Israel was in breach of human rights obligations over the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of its war in Gaza and rampant Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. While the EU is facing growing calls to cancel completely or in part its trade and cooperation agreement with Israel, Europe's energy relationship with Israel has attracted little attention, notably a gas deal that appears to have been automatically rolled over last month. The European Commission signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Israel and Egypt in June 2022, with the aim of 'enabling a stable delivery of natural gas to the EU'. It was sealed a few months after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as the EU was racing to secure alternative energy suppliers. Global Witness contends that the EMG pipeline, which runs parallel to the Gaza coastline, plays an important role in enabling gas exports to Europe from Egypt. The 56-mile (90km) pipeline transports gas from Ashkelon in Israel to Arish in Egypt, where it is then processed into liquefied natural gas for export, including to Europe. The NGO claims the EMG pipeline runs through Palestinian waters. Its work is guided by a legal opinion drafted pro bono by two barristers at the London-based Garden Court Chambers. Zehrah Hasan, a human rights barrister and co-author of the opinion, told the Guardian: 'Israel unilaterally constructed and operated the pipeline without the consent of the Palestinian authorities, and Palestine hasn't been afforded the opportunity to stipulate any financial, environmental or regulatory conditions. 'So in our view that was another example of how Israel is very likely breaching international law in its continued denial of Palestinian sovereignty. 'There's a very strong basis to contend that the EU is likely in violation of customary international law and EU law by signing and continuing the MoU.' Hasan has a Palestinian flag on her social media profile, but is said to have carried out the work in line with her regulatory duties to act independently. Israel has previously described Palestine's claimed maritime zone as 'legally invalid'. Israel's mission to the EU in Brussels and foreign ministry in Jerusalem did not respond to requests for comment. Nor did Palestine's mission to the EU. Gleider Hernández, a professor of public international law at KU Leuven, who was not involved in the study, told the Guardian that he believed Global Witness 'arrive at what is probably the correct conclusion' about a risk of breaching international law. He cautioned, however, that the analysis relied on Palestine's statehood being established. Irrespective of Palestinian statehood, he pointed to Israel's obligations as an occupying power under the fourth Geneva convention not to exploit the territory purely for its own benefit, ignoring the inhabitants. He said: 'In building a pipeline in the area concerned, Israel is probably committing an unlawful act … And then the question becomes … is the EU breaching one of its obligations vis-à-vis international law by having signed the MoU. And there, I think so … Even though the gas would not be directed to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, it would constitute a sort of toleration of Israel's misuse of its prerogatives as the occupying power.' The law professor also pointed to the landmark opinion from the UN's international court of justice (ICJ) in July 2024 that ordered Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories as soon as possible. In that non-binding opinion, the court called on other countries not to recognise the occupation as lawful or assist it. 'Thus the construction of [the pipeline] very well may be a breach of the obligations identified by the court also with respect to third actors such as the EU,' he said. The situation, he added, 'did not become unlawful in 2024', but 'the international court simply recognised the situation of illegality that had been in existence for some time before then'. As to whether the EU should have signed the agreement in 2022, he said: 'I would have said don't do it.' Barry Andrews, an Irish centrist MEP, who chairs the European parliament's development committee, told the Guardian via email: 'Given Israel's persistent illegal occupation of Palestine, the legal warnings of the international court of justice in its advisory opinion issued last year and the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the EU risks being in breach of its international legal obligations by continuing with this energy cooperation.' Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion He called for an urgent review of the MoU 'with a view to suspension, reaffirming our commitment to upholding international law and human rights'. Sarah Biermann Becker, a senior investigator at Global Witness, said: 'Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the EU has tried to position itself as a defender of human rights, but its continued business with Israel exposes a deplorable double standard.' She accused the EU of 'pursuing a gas deal that tramples over Palestinian rights' and which 'effectively helps bankroll Israel's genocide on Gaza'. The ICJ is considering the charge that Israel has committed genocide, and the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, has used the term since January 2024. The criticism of the energy deal comes before an EU meeting on 15 July when foreign ministers expect an update from the EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, on her talks with Israel's government. Kallas said she would talk to her Israeli counterpart about the findings of the unprecedented review of the EU-Israel association agreement. Since the EU found 'indications' of human rights violations, Israel has ramped up its offensive, adding to the death toll that now stands at more than 57,000 people, mostly civilians. The retaliatory war was launched after Hamas militant attacks on 7 October 2023 killed 1,219 people and took 251 hostage. Since then nearly the entire 2.3 million population of Gaza has been displaced and the territory reduced to ruin. The MoU was due to be extended automatically in mid-June this year. The European Commission did not respond to repeated questions about the agreement. Announcing the trilateral deal in June 2022, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said she was 'grateful that Israel will increase its supply of energy to the EU'. Israel's then energy minister, Karine Elharrar, hailed the agreement as historic and said it enabled Israel 'for the first time to export Israeli natural gas to Europe'. It was, she said, 'another step towards positioning Israel as a natural gas superpower' and 'a diplomatic lever'. Between 2020 and 2024 nearly 9bn cubic metres of LNG was exported from Egypt to Europe, according to Global Witness analysis of Rystad Energy data. Spain, Italy and France were the top importers of the gas, buying around half, worth $9bn. The campaign group argues that most Israeli gas to Egypt goes via the EMG pipeline, as it is the most direct route with the biggest capacity. While it is not possible to trace the exact molecules from Israel to the EU, Global Witness contends that additional gas from Israel to Egypt enables exports to the EU. The MoU shows an intention, the NGO states, 'to further support and enable the export of Israeli gas to the EU'. Gas flows have continued largely uninterrupted during the massive upsurge in violence. Israel suspended operations at two gas fields supplying Egypt and Jordan last month, hours after launching surprise airstrikes against Iran. Operations were resumed nearly two weeks later.
Gizmodo
01-07-2025
- Gizmodo
These May Be the First Leaked Images of Meta's $1,000-Ish AR Glasses
Meta is one step closer to releasing AR smart glasses with built-in displays. These will not be the Orion smart glasses that the company showed off last year (glasses that reportedly cost $10,000 to make a single pair, but more likely a watered-down version, according to leaked images and videos of the so-called 'Meta Ceres' (codenamed 'Meta Hypernova') AR glasses. X user @Lunayian (via RoadtoVR) shared several images and videos of what they claim are the Cerese smart glasses and their corresponding electromyography (EMG) wristband controller. At first glance, the two devices look like a pair of Ray-Ban Meta AI smart glasses and a Whoop fitness band. Having tried the impressive Orion prototype last year, these images appear to show frames that are slimmer and more stylish, and a wristband controller that's more refined and subtle. Meta Hypernova and Ceres Wristband (low res) — Luna (@Lunayian) June 30, 2025All of the media was reportedly discovered in 'early firmware.' Ceres could be Meta's first pair of AR smart glasses capable of replacing—or more likely semi-replacing—your phone. Here's that EMG band in action, showing a pinching gesture. Purported marketing copy says that you should be able to feel a buzz on your wrist when the 'band detects a gesture.' The X user also said the wristband may support handwriting; Meta is reportedly testing the feature, but it may not ship at launch. Meta Ceres EMG Wristband (FP Recording) — Luna (@Lunayian) June 30, 2025There's also a touch-sensitive panel on the temples of Celeste where a user can touch to capture photos and video. The input to capture image/video. — Luna (@Lunayian) June 30, 2025Similar to Orion, Celeste might even let you game—just a little bit. @Lunayian found a short video and logo referencing a minigame called 'Meta Hypernova.' Ultimately, Meta's main goal is to release a pair of AR smartglasses that let you open several apps at once. In my Orion demo, I could use multiple apps, including Instagram, a web browser, and a video call, and see them all floating transparently in front of my eyeballs. The secondary goal is to get the price down to something that people will pony up for. According to Bloomberg, Meta is targeting around $1,000 for its first AR glasses. That's not throwaway money, but it's also not $3,500 for an Apple Vision Pro. There's also still a lot we don't know. Orion required a rather large wireless compute puck to handle much of its graphics processing. Will Ceres need a separate puck or rely on a phone for processing? Will people want to use a wristband that will need to be charged on its own? The veracity of these leaks can't be confirmed, but someone would have had to go through a lot of trouble just to fake them. It's likely we'll find out more at Meta's annual Connect developer conference happening September 17 through 18. Mark Zuckerberg is hellbent on beating everyone to AR glasses. And he kind of has to—the competition is appearing larger and larger in his rearview mirror. It's been long-rumored that Tim Cook is pushing for a pair of AR glasses, though the company settled with Vision Pro first because the technology to shrink AR into a pair of eyewear isn't there yet. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel announced at AWE last month that the company's first AR glasses are coming next year. Without showing any images or videos, he described them as 'lightweight' and 'immersive,' which we can only take to mean they won't look like the goofy, oversized (but standalone) developer versions of Specs (see below) that Snap has been letting devs and creators fiddle with. And, of course, Google is going to come guns blazing with Android XR, which will likely launch with hardware from a bunch of brands, just like other Android phones and tablet devices. Finally tried Snap Spectacles 5. #ama Have some thoughts on how it compares to Meta's Orion AR glasses — Ray Wong (@raywongy) November 18, 2024Time is of the essence for Meta and Zuck if they really want to own our faces as the next computing battleground. Meta fumbled big time with the whole metaverse that never materialized in VR, but now it's pivoted everything—pouring tens of billions of dollars a year—into AR and AI. Zuck and company can shove Meta AI into every app it owns, but at the end of the day, they're still apps experienced mostly through phone screens. Ceres could be the first device to change that and chip away at the phone's dominance.
