PNN – The Zionist newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth warned that the occupation of the Gaza Strip, at an annual cost of $49 billion, will lead to an unprecedented economic deficit and a reduction in services in the education and health sectors.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, citing Al-Mayadeen, the Zionist newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth announced in a report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the regime is seeking to occupy the Gaza Strip, and this action may cost Tel Aviv between 120 and 180 billion shekels (between 32 and 49 billion dollars) annually. This comes at a time when the Israeli Ministry of Finance has warned of a possible 7% budget deficit this year and a further decline in the regime’s credit rating.
According to Gad Lior, a journalist and economic analyst, financing this decision will require significant cuts in education, health, and social welfare budgets and the imposition of new taxes, while the Israeli budget deficit continues to increase.
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In the event of a widespread invasion of Gaza, many Israeli prisoners and soldiers will be killed.
He added that next year will likely begin without an approved budget and will operate on a rolling budget, which will cause great damage to the economy.
Informed sources in the Israeli Ministry of Finance have estimated the cost of calling up 250,000 reserve soldiers and using military equipment in war at about 350 million shekels per day, equivalent to 10-11 billion shekels per month, and 30-50 billion shekels by the end of 2025. This is in addition to 10-15 billion shekels per month for the “Gaza Administration” in the event of its occupation, as well as billions of shekels to establish refugee settlements and fund humanitarian aid for Gaza residents, including food, water, medicine, and electricity.
Experts at the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Israel predict that this year’s budget deficit will reach at least 7%, in addition to the high possibility of a further downgrade of the Israeli regime’s credit rating by the world’s major rating agencies.
According to the newspaper, Zionists should be prepared for further austerity measures, the imposition of new taxes, an extension of the moratorium on tax rate reductions, and severe cuts in education, health, welfare, and infrastructure budgets.