Gaza’s population is falling, while Israel’s growth is slowing

Gaza’s population fell by 6% (about 160,000 people) in 2024, according to a new report, as Israel’s war against Hamas took a heavy toll on the demographics of the Palestinian enclave.

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) said in a report published on Tuesday that around 100,000 Palestinians had left Gaza since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, in addition to at least 45,553 who were killed in Israeli attacks in the strip. . according to official figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the enclave.

The report also warned that 60,000 pregnant women in Gaza were “in danger” due to a lack of adequate medical care and that 96% of the population faced high levels of food insecurity.

Gaza’s population now stands at 2.1 million, including more than one million children under the age of 18, representing 47% of the population, the PCBS report added.

Meanwhile, a separate report from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) found that Israel’s population was still growing – but more slowly than before – in a trend it attributed to Israelis leaving the country.

The Israeli report warned, however, that the full impact of Israel’s multi-front war on the long-term migration pattern had yet to be seen.

In the report released Tuesday, the census bureau said that in 2024, Israel’s population grew by 1.1%, compared to 1.6% in 2023.

“The decline is mainly due to the high number of Israelis who will emigrate from Israel in 2024,” he said, adding that last year, some 82,700 residents left Israel, compared to 55,000 the year before.

As of December 31, 2024, Israel’s population was estimated at 10.027 million, according to the report, surpassing the 10 million mark for the first time. However, the report included foreigners in the country as part of its count.

Israel has also been rocked by political turmoil. In 2023, it was rocked by mass protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government’s controversial plans to reform the country’s judicial system.

It then launched a war against Hamas in Gaza after the Palestinian militant group led brutal attacks that killed more than 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250 on October 7, 2023. Since then, Israel’s attacks have killed more than 45,000 people and have injured 108,000 in Gaza. according to the ministry of health in the strip.

Israel is also fighting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, which began shooting at Israel on October 8, 2023, as well as conflicts with Iran, the Houthis in Yemen and militants in Syria and Iraq who say they are attacking to Israel. in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.

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