Cairo distances itself from gas deal with Israel

Egypt said on Thursday that the gas deal inked with Israel occurred between private companies with no government intervention, and that it was "strictly commercial".

A day earlier, Israel had approved the deal with Chevron CVX.N and its partners, NewMed NWMDp.TA and Ratio, to provide up to $3b of natural gas to Egypt from the Leviathan natural gas field.

It is, on the whole, unusual for any deal of this size to take hold without Egyptian government oversight.