Middle East

Egypt-Israel Pipeline Attacked

Explosion forces shutdown.

A natural-gas pipeline from Egypt to Israel and Jordan was attacked in North Sinai by an armed gang Wednesday, causing a huge explosion and forcing the pipeline to shut down. The area, 30 miles from the Israeli border, was evacuated. The pipeline is a frequent target; a February 5 attack during the uprising against Hosni Mubarak forced a monthlong shutdown. It is unclear if the attack was meant to target Israel, but Israel has said it’s “a problem we're going to live with for a very long time” and is looking to develop its own gas reserves. Either way, the attack figures to be most harmful to Jordan, which relies on Egyptian gas for 80 percent of its electricity.