Egypt offers to re-export gas to Israel at new price

Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi,  the head of Egypt\'s Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) threatened on Monday to thwart any foreign aggression against Egypt. Meanwhile, ?the Egyptian government announced its intention to re-export gas to Israel at a new price and with condition
Egypt\'s Al-Ahram newspaper quoted Tantawi  as saying: \"Our borders are constantly burning, yet we do not attack any neighbouring country but only protect our borders. If anyone comes close to the Egyptian border, we will attack him. Therefore, our forces must be in a perpetual state of alert.\"
A second senior military figure, Major General Muhammad Higazi, commander of Egypt’s Second Field Army, also issued a tacit threat, warning that potential aggressors should “reconsider before thinking of attacking any part of Egypt’s territory\". He added: \"Egyptian fighters have secured the eastern borders and that the army forces do not need or ask for external permission to take actions to secure  national security  .\"
Tension remains high on the Egyptian-Israeli borders after the killing of six Egyptian soldiers by Israeli fire last August provoking thousands of angry Egyptians to break into the Israeli embassy twice, leading to the departure of the embassy staff. Relations have since deteriorated further after a number of threats were made by Israeli leaders against Egypt\'s decision to stop exporting gas to Israel on Sunday.  
 Spokeswoman for the Egyptian Government and International Cooperation Minister  Fayza Abul Naga said:  \"the Egyptian side had no objections to reach a new contract with new conditions and a new price.\" She affirmed that scrapping the contract came after a defect in the financial obligation mentioned in an agreement between Cairo and Tel Aviv. Israel was notified to pay on March 30 but did not respond,  which automatically led to the contract being scrapped.
Abul Naga said in a press announcement on Monday, that it was \"Israel\'s fault\" and they had  \"no right to ask for international arbitration  following the scrapping of the gas contract. Israel has been notified five times that it was not meeting its financial obligations under the old contract. Moreover, the Ministry of Petroleum and the government have nothing to do with this as it is a commercial contract between two companies.\"
Egypt had cancelled its gas-export agreement with Israel owing to some commercial matters related to EGAS Egyptian Company and the Israeli Eastern Mediterranean.