Israel Acknowledges Significant Losses of Aggression in Gaza Strip

Tel Aviv, MINA – Israel has incurred losses amounting to $67 billion as a result of the genocide war in Gaza. These losses include $34 billion in direct military losses and $40 billion in losses to the general budget, marking the largest losses in the history of the occupation.

Approximately 60,000 businesses have also closed over the past year, 50 percent more than in 2023, while the number of tourists has dropped by up to 70 percent, resulting in over $5 billion in losses for the tourism sector.

Additionally, the construction sector has lost $4 billion, with more than 70 companies in the sector closing down, according to reports from the Middle East Monitor.

Data indicates that one-third of the occupied population of Israel lives below the poverty line, while a quarter of the population suffers from food insecurity.

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These figures were revealed just hours before a ceasefire agreement was reached with Gaza.

Israel’s Ministry of Finance announced that the occupation has incurred financial losses of approximately 125 billion shekels (equivalent to $34.09 billion) since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.

The ministry stated that Israel’s occupation recorded a budget deficit of 19.2 billion shekels ($5.2 billion) in December, as a result of increased costs associated with financing the war in Gaza and Lebanon.

It is important to note that these figures represent the direct costs of the war, without considering the broader economic and social impacts affecting various aspects of life in the Israeli occupation.

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In this context, the Israeli economic newspaper Calcalist stated that the total cost of the war in the Gaza Strip could have reached around 250 billion shekels ($67.57 billion) by the end of 2024.

The newspaper based its estimate on data from the Bank of Israel, noting that this amount includes direct security costs, large civil expenditures, as well as revenue losses, and emphasized that these figures do not cover all financial aspects related to the war.

Calcalist said this reflects a failure in managing the war in the Gaza Strip, which will require a significant increase in the Israeli Ministry of Defense’s budget over the next decade.

The newspaper added that future budgets will include the purchase of more aircraft, helicopters, and armored personnel carriers, as well as a large amount of weapons and ammunition, and investments in human resources, specifically Israeli soldiers themselves.

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The newspaper also mentioned that Israel’s military failure in the war in Gaza is not limited to financial losses alone but also includes significant human losses, with the death toll and number of injuries continuing to rise, along with the suffering of the families and relatives of the wounded, who are enduring psychological and mental effects as a result of this war. []

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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