One-fifth of Israelis forced to evacuate their settlements after October 7, 2023, have lost their jobs, highlighting the greater economic cost of the war on Gaza.

According to Reuters, tens of thousands of Israelis were evacuated from areas near the Gaza Strip and Lebanon's borders.

Most spent months away from their jobs and incomes and living in temporary housing, aided by government subsidies that added to the billions of dollars spent on the IOF during the war.

According to a study done in December and January by the nonpartisan IDI think tank, little over a third (39%) of Israelis had returned to their settlements, while the majority of the north remains empty.

However, according to the IDI study, 19% of individuals in employment before the war had become unemployed when the survey was done, emphasizing the cost to an economy that will grow by just 1% in 2024. Another 3% were called up for reserve military duty.

Around one-third of Israeli households have reported a decrease in income since the beginning of the war, with the number reaching as high as 44% in the north, where economic activity involving companies, tourism, and agriculture has been badly hit.

The Bank of Israel stated in October that the severe slowdown in economic activity in northern occupied territories would exacerbate the strains on an economy already strained by increased military spending and a labor shortage in vital industries such as construction.

Israeli settlers refuse to return to Metulla, 70% of houses destroyed

Yair Kraus, the northern correspondent for Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, reported that settlers in the settlement of Metulla filed a petition with the Supreme Court last week and requested a conditional order and an urgent hearing to discuss their appeal for the settlement's exclusion from the return decision.

He stated that the settlement council, led by David Azoulay, argued in its petition that the government’s refusal to exempt Metulla from the return decision had led to a "completely unreasonable" outcome.

The petition emphasized that residents would be forced to abandon their current houses, workplaces, and schools to return immediately, despite 70% of the settlement's houses being damaged and Metulla being unprepared to accommodate them. It also highlighted the ongoing significant security risks in the area.

According to the newspaper, the settlers criticized the government's decision to mandate their return despite the widespread destruction of houses and public infrastructure. They even urged Supreme Court justices to visit Metulla, assess the situation firsthand, and recognize that the decision is unreasonable, as the settlement is currently unfit for habitation.

Kraus confirmed that Metulla was targeted by more than 2,200 rockets, mortars, and missiles during the war. In their petition, the local council highlighted the dire conditions, emphasizing that most residents lack shelter, fortified rooms, or any form of protection.