Israeli offensive bill put at 767 million dollars so far

Tel Aviv, NOV. 21 (dpa/GNA) - Israel's week-long offensive against the Gaza Strip has so far cost the country 3 billion shekels (767 million dollars), the Israeli economic daily The Marker reported Wednesday.   Of this figure, two billion shekels (511 dollars) is the cost of the military side of the offensive, and the remaining 255 billion shekels (255 million dollars) the cost to the civilian sector from hundreds of Palestinian rocket attacks.   The indirect costs of the fighting - the loss of productivity and to industry and tourism - has still to be calculated, the paper wrote.   Israeli citizens will ultimately bear the cost of the war, through new taxes - one of the options is to raise VAT by one per cent, to 18 per cent, the Marker said. GNA  ... Read Full Story