One-fifth of Israelis who were forced to evacuate their homes after the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught are out of work, the Israel Democracy Institute said on Tuesday, underlining the broader cost to the Israeli economy from the 15-month war in Gaza with the terror group.

Tens of thousands of Israelis were evacuated from dozens of communities near the Gaza border in the wake of the Hamas assault from Gaza. Some 60,000 more were also evacuated from communities near the northern border when the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas on October 8, amid fears they could try and replicate the Hamas assault.

Most spent months living in temporary accommodation, including in hotels across Israel, helped by government subsidies that added to the billions of dollars spent on the military during the war, but away from their jobs and livelihoods. The government has spent more than NIS 9 billion ($2.5 billion) on the evacuation of Israelis since the October 7 attack,........

© The Times of Israel