Israel’s long and brutal war on Gaza has not only caused massive human suffering but has also become one of the most expensive wars in modern history. According to reports, Israel has spent about 87.5 billion US dollars since October 2023, resulting in the deaths of at least 61,000 Palestinians. This means, on average, Israel spent around 18 crore Bangladeshi Taka to kill just one Palestinian. Despite these heavy losses, Israel is showing no sign of ending the war.
A War of Destruction — In Both Human and Economic Terms
Israel’s aggression on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, has continued for over a year. The attack has been described globally as one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent times. However, beyond the human tragedy, the war is also extremely expensive for Israel.
According to Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the war has already cost Israel around 300 billion shekels, which equals about 87.5 billion US dollars.
Each Palestinian Death Cost 18 Crore Taka
International media and Israeli sources report that since the war began, over 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza.
With a total spending of $87.5 billion, the average cost per death comes out to roughly 18 crore Bangladeshi Taka (over 10.6 lakh crore total).
This makes it one of the most financially costly wars per casualty in modern history.
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Israel Refuses to Stop the War
Despite the enormous costs and the mounting international pressure, Israel’s leaders have no intention of ending the war any time soon.
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made a strong statement on Wednesday, August 6:
“হামাস, ইউরোপ এবং ইসরায়েলের অনেকে যুদ্ধ বন্ধে চাপ দিলেও আমরা পূর্ণ বিজয় না হওয়া পর্যন্ত যুদ্ধ চালিয়ে যাব।”
“Even though Hamas, Europe, and many inside Israel are pressuring to stop the war, we will continue until we achieve total victory.”
He further added:
“আমি আশা করি, আগামীকাল (বৃহস্পতিবার) মন্ত্রিসভার বৈঠকে আমরা গাজা দখলের সিদ্ধান্ত নেব। আমাদের লক্ষ্য হামাসকে সামরিকভাবে পরাজিত করা।”
“I hope tomorrow (Thursday) the cabinet will decide to occupy Gaza. Our aim is to defeat Hamas militarily.”
Important Cabinet Meeting May Decide Gaza’s Future
A key cabinet meeting, led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has already been accused of war crimes, is scheduled for Thursday.
Many international experts believe that this meeting could be the point where Israel decides to completely re-occupy Gaza.
Internal Opposition Within Israel
Despite the government’s aggressive stance, many military officers and families of hostages inside Israel are strongly against the idea of re-occupying Gaza.
They believe that further escalation may not lead to real peace and could put more Israeli lives at risk.
Source: The Daily Inqilab
