Bahrain Tightens Control on Oil Facilities Following Attack

Logo of Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco)
Logo of Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco)
TT

Bahrain Tightens Control on Oil Facilities Following Attack

Logo of Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco)
Logo of Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco)

Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning and the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) to continue to implement security and maintenance measures for pipeline facilities across the Kingdom.

The Crown Prince also called on addressing the needs of the people affected by the terrorist incident that targeted an oil pipeline in Buri village south of Manama on Friday evening.

The Ministry of the Interior transferred a number of people from the village, where the terrorist attack took place, to a shelter in order to ensure their security and safety and provide them with the necessary care.

He extended gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its prompt cooperation in response to the attack that was instrumental to restoring normal flows of oil supplies between the two countries due to the ongoing collaboration between BAPCO and Aramco.

This came during the 18th meeting of the Higher Committee for Natural Resources and Economic Security, which was chaired by the Crown Prince on Sunday at Riffa Palace.

Minister of Interior Lieutenant General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa and Minister of Oil Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa submitted a presentation on oil pipeline security and maintenance planning in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Prince Salman bin Hamad also noted the severity of the recent terrorist attack, which was a deliberate act to undermine the security of the Kingdom.

On this note, HRH commended security authorities and Bapco whose collective actions succeeded in bringing the fire under control swiftly while preventing any casualties.

He concluded by praising the efforts of local residents in assisting security authorities, noting that the authorities will continue to work hard to meet their needs in the aftermath of the attack.

In this context, Bapco’s Corporate Communications Head Nawaf al-Ghanim said the company stepped up its security monitoring and patrols at the company's facilities and around the pipeline immediately after the blast.



Washington Urges Israel to Extend Cooperation with Palestinian Banks

A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
TT

Washington Urges Israel to Extend Cooperation with Palestinian Banks

A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)

The United States on Thursday called on Israel to extend its cooperation with Palestinian banks for another year, to avoid blocking vital transactions in the occupied West Bank.

"I am glad that Israel has allowed its banks to continue cooperating with Palestinian banks, but I remain convinced that a one-year extension of the waiver to facilitate this cooperation is needed," US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday, on the sidelines of a meeting of G20 finance ministers in Rio de Janeiro.

In May, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened to cut off a vital banking channel between Israel and the West Bank in response to three European countries recognizing the State of Palestine.

On June 30, however, Smotrich extended a waiver that allows cooperation between Israel's banking system and Palestinian banks in the occupied West Bank for four months, according to Israeli media, according to AFP.

The Times of Israel newspaper reported that the decision on the waiver was made at a cabinet meeting in a "move that saw Israel legalize several West Bank settlement outposts."

The waiver was due to expire at the end of June, and the extension permitted Israeli banks to process payments for salaries and services to the Palestinian Authority in shekels, averting a blow to a Palestinian economy already devastated by the war in Gaza.

The Israeli threat raised serious concerns in the United States, which said at the time it feared "a humanitarian crisis" if banking ties were cut.

According to Washington, these banking channels are key to nearly $8 billion of imports from Israel to the West Bank, including electricity, water, fuel and food.