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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said connected Wednesday (December 17, 2025) that helium has approved a $35 cardinal earthy state export woody to Egypt, the biggest state woody successful Israeli history. The statement could besides assistance repair relations betwixt the 2 countries strained during the two-year warfare successful the Gaza Strip.
The state volition beryllium delivered to Egypt implicit the adjacent 15 years by U.S. vigor elephantine Chevron, a cardinal proprietor of the state tract disconnected Israel's seashore successful the Mediterranean Sea. Half of the proceeds are expected to spell to Israel's authorities coffers.
In a recorded video statement, Mr. Netanyahu said the woody "greatly strengthens Israel's presumption arsenic a determination vigor power, and it contributes to stableness successful our region.” Egypt, which borders some Israel and Gaza, has served arsenic a cardinal mediator betwixt Israel and the Palestinian militant Hamas radical starring up to the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that was agreed connected successful October. Cairo has besides has been a vocal professional of Israel's offensive, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused wide demolition successful Gaza.
Egypt did not instantly corroborate Mr. Netanyahu's announcement.
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen, a adjacent Netanyahu ally, antecedently held up the woody with Egypt, claiming the presumption were not favourable to Israel. His delays prompted U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright to cancel a travel to Israel successful October.
But Mr. Cohen stood alongside Mr. Netanyahu during the Wednesday evening announcement and said helium supported the last presumption of the deal.
Israel discovered sizeable earthy state fields disconnected its Mediterranean seashore successful the aboriginal 2000s and began exporting state — archetypal to Jordan and aboriginal to Egypt — astir a decennary ago.
In a abstracted development, German lawmakers approved an enlargement of a defence statement for Israel's blase Arrow 3 rocket defence system, Israel's defence ministry said connected Wednesday.
The enlargement brings the worth of the woody from $3.5 cardinal to $6.5 billion, making it the largest Israeli defence export woody ever, according to the ministry. Germany moved to bargain Arrow 3 from Israel arsenic it seeks to fortify its aerial defences against Russia.
