UM Researcher: Israel Feeling The Pinch As Gaza Conflict Costs It RM1.1 Billion Per Day
He also stated that Israel has failed to accomplish any substantial military objective despite over 2,000 its troops feared to be injured or dead.
By Dale John Wong — 27 Nov 2023, 04:12 PM
A Universiti Malaya (UM) researcher has suggested that the cost of the ongoing war in Gaza may be starting to take a financial toll on Israel
Dr Belal Alakhras, a political science researcher at UM, said that after 40 days of the conflict with Hamas in Gaza, Israel may be persuaded to enter peaceful negotiations with its adversary to reduce the strain on its finances, reported Harian Metro.
According to Belal, who is a resident of Gaza, Israel has already spent the equivalent of over RM45 billion, which averages out to an expenditure of RM1.1 billion per day throughout the conflict, and is thus facing heightened pressure from both its citizens and the international community.
"During this ceasefire period, about 150 prisoner exchanges involving Palestinian women and children with Israeli detainees took place. From this perspective, we can see that Israel failed to force Hamas and the Palestinian resistance to release Israeli prisoners unconditionally or through military strength," he added.
File photo of the UM political science researcher, Dr Belal Alakhras.
Image via The Palestinian Information CenterBelal stated that even with 2,000 of its troops believed to be injured or dead, Israel still failed to accomplish any substantial military objective
So far, the hostile back-and-forth between the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas troops has resulted in substantial damage to structures in Gaza, including important buildings such as hospitals and schools.
Still, this failed to expand Israel's military occupation in the Gaza Strip, and according to Belal, this has galvanised Gaza locals to offer their full support to Hamas.
"The external pressure on the Zionist regime is increasing every day, involving threats of military intervention from other countries. Some countries also threatened to sever diplomatic relations with the regime if military operations continued," he said.
These factors, he added, have all caused Israel to now consider peace talks with Hamas, which could end up resulting in a moral defeat for the Zionist regime.
