“Israeli” Estimates: Damage from War In The North Exceeds $2.5 Billion

By Staff

An “Israeli” online publication revealed the extent of the damage caused to the northern settlements during military operations carried out by the Islamic Resistance against the Zionist enemy before the ceasefire went into effect.

According to the “Israeli” website Makor Rishon, the damage is estimated at around 9 billion "shekels", or more than $2.5 billion. Direct damage is estimated at around 5 billion "shekels" and indirect damage is 4 billion "shekels". In addition, there is unprecedented damage to nature, as well as the human losses suffered by the “Israeli” soldiers and settlers.

“It is too early to talk about the ‘day after in the north,’ but after 30 days of ceasefire, it is possible to summarize the damage incurred by ‘Israel’ during the fighting. The direct damage to the settlements in the north is estimated at no less than 5 billion 'shekels'. This is without taking into account the costs of the fighting for the 'IDF' ['Israeli' Occupation Force], which are estimated at additional billions, as well as the costs of evacuation and assistance to the displaced population. These figures are expected to change as more requests are submitted in the future,” the website said.

“According to data from the ‘Momentum for the North’ administration, which is tasked with the rehabilitation of settlements, about 3,400 buildings were destroyed during the fighting, including about 500 that were very badly damaged. Many of these buildings will likely require demolition or extensive reconstruction. Most of the buildings that were damaged are residential 'homes', and a smaller number of them are public buildings, infrastructure, and agricultural buildings," the news site added.

“According to estimates, about a seventh of the damage was caused by the ‘Israeli’ army's activities in the area during the war.”

The website also stated that the settlement of "Kiryat Shmona" was the most affected, with more than 380 buildings destroyed. The list of the most affected settlements also includes "Shlomi", "Nahariya", "Manara" and "Metula", followed by "Shtula" and "Zar'it". In addition to the direct damage caused to thousands of houses and apartments, factories, cars, and public buildings, electricity and water systems were also damaged.

“The indirect damage in the border settlements is estimated at about 3.5 to 4 billion 'shekels'. So far, the compensation fund has paid more than 16.5 billion 'shekels' for claims related to damages from the 'Swords of Iron War' on all battlefronts,” the website added.

The damage to nature was also unprecedented on the northern front. About 230,000 dunams of forests and natural shrubs were burned in the north, including more than 175,000 dunams in the Upper Galilee and the Golan Heights. The website explained that the forests that suffered the most damage were "Ramot Naftali", with about 90% of its trees destroyed, as well as the "Biriya" and the "Ya'el Shem Tov" forests. By comparison, in the Second Lebanon War [July 2006], only about 7,000 dunams were burned.

The website reported that specialists in the so-called “Israeli” National Fund had said that the process of rehabilitating the damage would take at least five years.

As for the death toll on the northern front, the website refrained from mentioning the losses suffered by the officers and soldiers of the “Israeli” army and only spoke about the killing of 42 settlers and the injury of hundreds, in addition to many cases of psychological shock. In addition, 68,500 northern settlers were evacuated from their homes, and most of them have not returned yet.