Occupation Losses in Confrontation with Iran: 12 Dead, Hundreds Wounded, and Billions of Shekels in Costs

Field sources in Tel Aviv reported that the number of Israeli fatalities due to direct Iranian shelling has reached 12 since the first day of the military confrontations. The largest human losses were concentrated in the Beit Shemesh area, west of Jerusalem, where a single rocket strike instantly killed nine people.

In addition to those killed by direct shelling, medical authorities recorded two additional indirect deaths that occurred while attempting to take shelter from the attacks. Sources explained that these two deaths resulted from health emergencies experienced by the individuals while heading to fortified shelters after air raid sirens sounded.

Regarding the number of injured, data from the Israeli Ministry of Health revealed 1,473 injuries of varying severity since the start of military operations against Iran. Approximately 145 injured individuals are still receiving intensive medical care in emergency departments across various hospitals, awaiting stabilization of their health condition.

Observers believe that the low number of casualties compared to the intensity of the shelling is due to the network of fortified shelters and defensive systems employed on the home front. Authorities impose strict civil protection measures aimed at reducing human losses among settlers during periods of intense rocket barrages.

On the material front, official bodies face extreme difficulty in comprehensively assessing the damage to homes and vital facilities amidst ongoing hostilities. Shrapnel from interceptor missiles and those that fell in populated areas caused partial and complete destruction to a large number of residential buildings and public facilities.

Reports indicate that the largest bill for this war is concentrated in the offensive operations launched by the Israeli Air Force against targets within Iranian territory. These costs include the prices of smart munitions and bombs used, in addition to the exorbitant cost of warplane flight hours, fuel consumption, and logistical effort.

Also prominent in the war budget are items related to intelligence and covert operations, including what is circulated about funding and training groups of the Iranian opposition. Reports claim that these groups infiltrated Iranian territory to carry out specific missions, which necessitated allocating huge budgets for accompanying technological and logistical operations.

In the context of economic comparisons, a significant gap emerges in cost estimates between different Israeli ministries, which was evident in previous budget conflicts. While the Ministry of Defense estimated the cost of a previous confrontation at approximately 60 billion shekels, the Ministry of Finance almost halved this figure based on different accounting criteria.

This discrepancy is due to the Ministry of Finance only calculating the direct costs of combat, while the security establishment insists on including strategic paths and indirect operations. The Ministry of Defense considers long-term preparations and preemptive operations to be an integral part of the overall war bill.

Based on current data, economic experts expect the cost of the current confrontation with Iran to reach tens of billions of shekels if it continues. The final figures are likely to rise with increasing reliance on advanced military technology and the call-up of reserve forces for long periods.

Much of the war's greatest cost is attributed to the offensive operations carried out by Israel against Iran, including the cost of munitions and aircraft flight hours.