CAIRO, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Egypt's State Information

Service said on Thursday that the natural gas deal with Israel

was a "purely commercial" arrangement with no political

dimensions, adding that the agreement was struck by private

energy companies under market rules and without government

involvement.

Israel signed the export agreement in August with Chevron ( CVX )

and its partners, NewMed and Ratio, to supply up to

$35 billion of gas to Egypt from the Leviathan natural gas

field.