Cost of Israeli War on Gaza Reaches $62 Billion

A soldier fixes the Israeli flag on a tank during a military maneuver near the border with Lebanon in northern Israel. (Reuters)
A soldier fixes the Israeli flag on a tank during a military maneuver near the border with Lebanon in northern Israel. (Reuters)
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Cost of Israeli War on Gaza Reaches $62 Billion

A soldier fixes the Israeli flag on a tank during a military maneuver near the border with Lebanon in northern Israel. (Reuters)
A soldier fixes the Israeli flag on a tank during a military maneuver near the border with Lebanon in northern Israel. (Reuters)

Following the shock of war, the Israeli economy found itself at a crossroads, as it witnessed a clear slowdown in commercial, investment, and service activity.

These challenges did not only impact the economic situation, but posed social and political challenges that obstructed the path of continuous growth that had lasted for almost two years.

A report issued by Moody’s rating agency said that the ongoing war costs Israel $269 million daily. The report was based on a preliminary study that took into account the estimates of the Israeli Ministry of Finance. This means that the war has cost Israel $61.9 billion since its eruption around 230 days ago.

According to data from the Israeli Ministry of Finance, the fiscal deficit rose to 7 percent of GDP in 4 months of the current year, reaching $35.7 billion since April 2023, which is higher than the government’s estimate of 6.6 percent for the entire year of 2024.

It is also an unprecedented number since the global financial crisis in 2008, according to the Ministry of Finance, which indicated that the fiscal deficit in April amounted to $3.16 billion.

The war forced the government to increase defense spending significantly, which accounted for about two-thirds of total spending in four months. In contrast, revenues declined by 2.2 percent, due to a decrease in tax payments.

The government plans to raise about $60 billion in debt this year and increase taxes to meet its financial needs. The average monthly bond sales tripled after the outbreak of the war, according to Bloomberg estimates, which indicated that the government had collected about $55.4 billion since October, from domestic and foreign markets.

In light of the growing financial burdens resulting from the war, Israel was receiving blow after blow from international rating agencies, which of course affected its attempts to raise external financing. After Moody’s lowered its sovereign rating for Israel by one notch to A2, Standard & Poor’s joined in in April and lowered the rating from AA- to A+.

In light of the uncertainty about the extent of the impact of the ongoing war with Hamas, it is widely expected that the Bank of Israel will leave short-term interest rates unchanged during its meeting on Monday, for the third time in a row.

In January, the Monetary Policy Committee reduced the key interest rate by 25 basis points, which followed 10 consecutive increases in interest rates, in a strong tightening cycle from the lowest level ever at 0.1 percent in April 2022, before a temporary pause in July.

According to a Reuters poll, further cuts in interest rates during the rest of 2024 are at risk due to inflation pressures.

The annual inflation rate continued to rise in April to 2.8 percent, after falling to 2.5 percent in February.

In light of talk about a possible Israeli military rule in Gaza, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported, citing an official document, that such strategy in Gaza would cost Tel Aviv no less than 20 billion shekels ($5.4 billion) annually. The newspaper reported that the Israeli security establishment prepared an analytical document to study the financial consequences of establishing a military government in the Gaza Strip.

The fate of the Israeli economy in the war period and beyond depends largely on several factors, including political and security stability, transformations in various economic sectors, and developments in regional conflicts. Despite the existing challenges, some expectations indicate that the Israeli economy will recover at a moderate pace, but this does not replace the need to better promote growth and stability, especially in light of the turbulent geopolitical conditions that the region is witnessing.

In an interview with the Jerusalem Post newspaper, the former governor of the Bank of Israel, Karnit Flug, said that the government response to the economic challenges resulting from the conflict between Israel and Hamas were not commensurate with the situation.

She explained the proposed measures (some of which were approved in the Knesset, while others were postponed or planned to be implemented in the future) are not sufficient to address the current challenges.



Israel’s ‘Economic War’ Chokes Occupied West Bank

Palestinians queue to withdraw money from an ATM in the main market in Ramallah city in the Israel-occupied West Bank on June 9, 2024.
Palestinians queue to withdraw money from an ATM in the main market in Ramallah city in the Israel-occupied West Bank on June 9, 2024.
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Israel’s ‘Economic War’ Chokes Occupied West Bank

Palestinians queue to withdraw money from an ATM in the main market in Ramallah city in the Israel-occupied West Bank on June 9, 2024.
Palestinians queue to withdraw money from an ATM in the main market in Ramallah city in the Israel-occupied West Bank on June 9, 2024.

Palestinian teenagers bounced on trampolines and jumped through hoops inside a towering tent on the outskirts of Ramallah, the financial hub of the occupied West Bank.

But the circus students weren't the only ones bending over backwards in the pavilion: the school's director faced financial hurdles to buy the tent from Europe and trampolines from Asia.

"We are suffering with international payments," said Mohamad Rabah, head of the Palestinian Circus School, describing a bureaucratic process that could delay equipment delivery by up to a month.

Banking in the Palestinian territories is challenging, with the Palestinian Authority (PA) under scrutiny for potential terror financing, hindering transactions.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, with strong economic ties allowing two Israeli lenders to serve as correspondent banks in the Palestinian territory.

But this may change if Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich carries out threats to sever a vital banking route next month.

Since Hamas's October 7 attack triggered the Gaza war, Israel has imposed economic curbs on the PA, withholding tax revenues it collects on its behalf.

Smotrich said this week he had redirected $35 million in PA tax revenues to families of "terrorism" victims, a move condemned by the United States.

After three European countries recognized Palestinian statehood in May, Smotrich told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he would not extend indemnity to banks that transfer the funds from the end of June.

Israel's Bank Hapoalim and Israel Discount Bank need protection, expiring on July 1, to avoid sanctions for dealing with Palestinian lenders.

Israel's central bank and finance ministry declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

A Palestinian fruit vendor arranges his street cart in the main market in Ramallah city in the Israel-occupied West Bank on June 9, 2024. (AFP)

- 'Humanitarian crisis' -

The banking channel used to pay for West Bank imports -- including essential goods like water, fuel and food -- handles $8 billion yearly.

Palestinian businesses receive nearly $1.7 billion annually for exports, according to the Palestine Monetary Authority.

"For us, because our economy is dependent on the Israeli economy, because Israel is controlling the border, the impact will be high," said PMA governor Feras Milhem.

The Palestinian economy is largely governed by the 1994 Paris Protocol, which granted sole control over the territories' borders to Israel, including the right to collect import duties and value-added tax for the PA.

Palestinian livelihoods have also been hurt by bans on laborers crossing into Israel and by a sharp downturn in tourism in the territory, including a quiet Christmas season in Bethlehem.

The United States has urged Israel to improve conditions, warning that severing the banking route would have a dire impact on the West Bank economy.

"I believe it would create a humanitarian crisis in due course if Palestinian banks are cut off from Israeli correspondence," US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said last month.

Western governments fear Israel's economic policies could destabilize the West Bank.

"The banking system may collapse and therefore the PA may collapse as well," a European diplomatic source in Jerusalem told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"The PA is in a financial crisis and it could collapse before August."

A Palestinian vendor unloads his stock in front of a shop in the main market in Ramallah city in the Israel-occupied West Bank on June 9, 2024. (AFP)

- Digital currency -

Palestinian businessmen say their bottom lines have been hit since October 7.

Imad Rabah, who owns a plastics company, said his net income had fallen 50 percent in one year.

Musa Shamieh, who owns a womenswear company said the Israeli policies were designed to push Palestinians to leave the West Bank.

"They want us to leave our land and they know it will be hard for us to stay if we can't do business," Shamieh said.

Israel's harsh economic policies could eventually drive Palestinian policymakers to pursue sweeping changes to the monetary system.

"We need to work on a plan B when it comes to the trade relations," said Milhem, governor of the PMA, which uses an image of the former Palestinian pound as its logo.

Yousef Daoud, professor at the West Bank's Birzeit University, said the territory could scrap the shekel as its de facto currency in favor of a digital alternative.

"We can make our e-currency, just collect all the shekels, issue an equivalent amount of Palestinian pounds, one-to-one fixed exchange rate, and have the Palestinians deal with e-currency," he said.

"Somehow, eventually, we'll get rid of the shekel."