Immigration to 'Israel' severely declines since start of war
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The Israeli occupation says immigration to "Israel" is down from 74,714 last year compared to 44,372 in the same period last year.
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Passengers wait at Ben Gurion Airport near "Tel Aviv", occupied Palestine, on October 7, 2023, as flights were canceled because of the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood (AFP)
Between January and November of 2023, 44,372 immigrants came to "Israel", a notable decline from the 74,714 recorded for the entire year of 2022, which saw a surge in immigration due to the war in Ukraine.
The data revealed a pronounced reduction in immigration rates since the Palestinian Resistance launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
For example, during October and November, monthly immigration numbers to "Israel" dwindled to 1,000, in stark contrast to the preceding figures of 7,000 in January, 6,000 in March, and 5,000 in August.
This comes after thousands of Israeli occupation settlers were forced to evacuate their settlements in the Gaza Envelope, on the one hand, and in the north on the front with Lebanon, on the other hand.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli media emphasized the need to stop talking about "deterrence and restraint" after the events of last October 7.
In that regard, the former Chief of Staff of the Southern Front, Brigadier General Harel Kanfu, told the Israeli channel Kan that "the devastation of Gaza will not constitute a deterrent" and, in turn, called for an end to talk of deterrence and restraint after the events of last October 7.
Kanfu said, "Hamas witnessed during the previous Israeli battles the Israeli destruction of the Gaza Strip, and yet it carried out the operation last October 7, so I confirm that there is no Israeli deterrence against Hamas."
Nearly half a million Israelis left occupied Palestine since October 7
Israeli media reports on December 6 revealed that a significant number of Israelis have departed from Palestine since the start of the war on Gaza on October 7.
According to data from the Israeli Population and Immigration Authority, about half a million Israelis have left the occupied territories, Israeli news website Zman Yisrael pointed out.
During October (from October 7 to October 31), approximately 370,000 Israelis left Palestine, followed by an additional 139,839 in November.
The website noted that these figures do not include the tens of thousands of foreign workers and diplomats who have left Palestine after October 7 due to deteriorating conditions.
It has also been noted that migration to occupied Palestine has diminished considerably this year as conditions have improved in Ethiopia and, to some extent, in Ukraine. Conditions of decline in the socioeconomic and political spheres are attributed to the Israeli regime's policies.
Moreover, the number of immigrants decreased from around 20,000 in the first quarter of 2023 to about 11,000 in the third quarter. In the initial weeks of the war, migration nearly came to a halt, with the number of immigrants to occupied Palestine since October 7 constituting less than 1% of the Israelis who left.
The website emphasized that several Israeli media outlets misinterpreted the return of 300,000 Israelis to Palestine as a significant wave of migration, overlooking the fact that the majority of returnees came back solely from holiday vacations.
Since "Israel" renewed its aggression on Gaza, it expanded the scope of its targeted areas to include the southern territories, which were initially meant to be "deconfliction zones".
In response to these massacres, the Resistance has been retaliating accordingly, inflicting severe losses on both IOF personnel and equipment.
Likewise, on the northern front, the Lebanese Resistance has been engaging in an exchange of fire with the occupation forces, prompting thousands of settlers to leave the occupied territories.
It is worth noting that in November, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia pointed out there were about 4000 Israeli settlers deciding to repatriate to Ukraine because they deemed it "safer there".
Despite these numbers, the entity is pursuing projects of building illegal settlements in the West Bank.
Read more: 'Too late; mission accomplished': Hamas says 'Israel' tunnel find vain
