Israeli Broadcasting Authority: The cost of occupying the city of Gaza exceeds 7 billion dollars.

The official Hebrew broadcasting authority stated that the cost of the anticipated Israeli operation to occupy the city of Gaza ranges between 20 and 25 billion shekels (5.91 billion to 7.38 billion dollars). The authority noted that "the National Security Council and the Ministry of Finance in Israel discussed in recent days the necessity of increasing the defense budget in light of the operation."

The Israeli government is expected to increase the defense budget and may make cuts in other ministries, according to the same source. The authority stated: "The Israeli army today mobilized the largest batch of reserve soldiers, numbering more than thirty-five thousand soldiers as part of the preparations for Operation Gideon 2 to occupy the city of Gaza."

It was noted that "in the coming weeks, about twenty-five thousand additional reserve soldiers will join them, bringing the total number of soldiers to be recruited in preparation for the occupation of the city to 60 thousand."