(New York) Chevron has suspended activities at its Tamar sea gas platform, located off the Israeli coast, on instructions from the Israeli government after the Hamas offensive, the American group told AFP on Monday.

“Our priority is the safety of our teams, the populations of the places where we operate, the protection of the environment and our installations,” added the gas and oil giant in a statement sent by a spokesperson, specifying that the instruction came from the Israeli Ministry of Energy.

Chevron added that its other major hub in the region, located on the Leviathan field, also off the Israeli coast and close to Tamar, continued to supply natural gas to “its customers in Israel and the region.”

Hamas has launched a surprise offensive since Saturday, followed by a response from Israel.

In May 2021, Chevron had already mothballed its platform at the request of the authorities after a series of rocket attacks on Israel.

The energy giant took control of the Tamar and Leviathan platforms in 2020 with the acquisition of the American Noble Energy.

Israel launched the exploration and then exploitation of the Tamar and Leviathan gas fields to improve its energy independence, while the country had long depended on Egyptian gas supplies.

The announcement of the suspension of Tamar operations caused the wholesale price of European gas to jump. Around 12:40 p.m., the benchmark contract gained 12.4%, to 43 euros per megawatt hour (MWh).