Nitzan Cohen
Israel Hayom, Aug. 6, 2025
“Beyond the initial spending, the annual cost of maintaining full control over Gaza is estimated at between 60 and 130 billion shekels ($17.4 to $37.6 billion).”
So how much will it cost? Attempts to clarify the expected financial burden on Israel by asserting sovereignty over the Gaza Strip have yielded unclear and inconsistent answers, even from officials involved in the process.
“The chief of staff isn’t demanding clear orders for nothing,” Ram Aminach told Israel Hayom. Aminach, who once served as the IDF’s de facto financial advisor and is regarded as one of Israel’s foremost experts on military economics, adds: “How you define the military mission is crucial. Each mission dramatically affects budgeting and costs.”
Senior officials involved in decision making echoed this sentiment. “This is currently under discussion in the Cabinet. It’s a very broad issue and ultimately up to the political echelon. It’s not even clear whether they fully understand what all this entails,” one senior official tells Israel Hayom.
Crunching the numbers
Initial estimates suggest the military’s rush to secure all areas of Gaza where it currently lacks control, driven largely by fears that hostages may be held there, would cost between 10 and 20 billion shekels ($2.9 to $5.8 billion).
But that’s just the beginning. The real question is what happens once the tanks stop. This includes holding the territory, clearing it, and addressing the needs of the civilian Gazan population.
“We’re talking about incomprehensible costs,” said Aminach. “Look at the international pressure Israel faces today and multiply that by five, at the least. To ease that pressure, we’ll need to take care of the population in Gaza. No international player is going to help pay for that, not while Israel is seen the way it is right now.” ….SOURCE