Israel can't sue over pipeline attack

Israel can't sue Egypt for the disruption of natural gas supplies following an explosion July 4 on a major artery in the Sinai Peninsula, authorities said.A natural gas pipeline from Egypt to Israel and Jordan was bombed last week for the third time since the Egyptian revolution brought an end to Hosni Mubarak's presidency.Israel is looking to find ways to become more energy independent by exploiting recent major offshore natural gas reserve discoveries.Israel, however, under the terms of its gas deal with Egypt, can't sue for the disruption last week, Egypt's al-Ahram news agency reports.Hany Dahy, a top executive at Egypt's Petroleum Authority, was quoted as saying that Israel has no basis to take legal action because the disruption was caused by "unforeseen circumstances."Cairo said last week that supplies upstream to Israel and Jordan had resumed. The damage to the pipeline was considered minor and repairs should be completed by the end of the week, authorities said.