Palestinian human rights organizations said on Thursday that Israeli licenses for exploratory natural gas exploration off the coast of Gaza are “illegal” as they violate international laws and plunder Palestinian natural resources.

This came in a joint statement issued by Al-Mezan Center, Al-Haq Foundation, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, and the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel (Adalah), on Thursday.

The statement called on "the companies that won the licenses to immediately refrain from participating in the plunder of the sovereign natural resources of the Palestinian people."

It explained, "On October 29, 2023, in the midst of the Israeli military attack on Gaza, the Israeli Ministry of Energy announced that it had granted licenses to six Israeli facilities and international companies for exploratory exploration for natural gas in areas considered under international law to be Palestinian marine areas."

It added: "Among the companies are the Italian Eni, the British Dana Petroleum (a subsidiary of the South Korean National Petroleum Company), and the Israeli Racio Petroleum."

The human rights organizations' statement pointed out that "Israel granted licenses for gas exploration in Area G, which is a marine area adjacent to the shores of Gaza."

It said, "62 percent of Area G lies within the maritime borders declared by the State of Palestine in 2019, in accordance with the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which Palestine is a signatory."

The statement continued: “In addition to the licenses already granted in Area G, Israel has also issued tenders for Areas H and E, where 73 percent of Area H is located within the declared maritime borders of Palestine, along with 5 percent of Area E.”

It continued: "Despite not being a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Israel responded to the Palestinian declaration (regarding its maritime borders) by saying: Since Israel does not recognize Palestine as a sovereign state, it lacks the authority to declare its maritime borders and waters."

Accordingly, Palestinian human rights organizations confirmed that the Israeli position “directly contradicts the established principles of international law.”

It pointed out that, on Monday, Adalah sent a letter to the Israeli Minister of Energy and the Israeli government’s judicial advisor, requesting the cancellation of gas exploration licenses granted in Area “G,” according to the same statement.

It said that the letter also demanded “the cancellation of any ongoing tenders in the areas that fall within the maritime borders of Palestine, and the immediate cessation of any activity involving the exploitation of gas resources within the maritime borders of Palestine, as these areas do not belong to the State of Israel, and Israel does not possess any sovereign rights.” over them, including exclusive economic rights.”

The human rights organizations considered in their statement that "gas exploration and exploitation in Palestinian maritime areas blatantly violates the fundamental right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, which includes managing their natural resources."

The human rights organizations pointed out that an international law firm representing Al-Haq Foundation, Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights sent notices on Tuesday to foreign companies “demanding them to stop carrying out any activities in Area (G), which is located within the maritime areas of the State of Palestine, and to emphasize Such activities would constitute a flagrant violation of international law.”

It noted that "Israel's unilateral demarcation of its maritime borders to include Palestinian maritime areas and natural resources not only violates international law, but also perpetuates a long-term pattern of exploiting Palestinians' natural resources for its own financial and colonial gains."

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli side on the statement of human rights institutions.