Israeli Report: 58% of Palestinians in 1948 Territories Suffer from Food Insecurity

SadaNews - The National Insurance Institute of Israel revealed that 58% of Palestinian families within the 1948 territories live in a state of food insecurity, with only 10% of them enjoying a high level of food security.

In a report released today, Sunday, regarding the year 2024, it explained that there is a significant disparity in food security, as Palestinian families in the region with one or two children are 3.5 times more likely to experience food insecurity compared to non-Haredi Jewish families.

Among the Haredim, the rate of food insecurity stands at 25%.

It pointed out that more than a quarter of families in Israel suffer from food insecurity, as 27.1% of Israeli families, equivalent to 2.8 million people including more than one million children, reported being unable to provide food in the required quantities or quality.

The report shows a slight decrease from 2023, when the rate was 30.8%.

This decline is partially attributed to the war on Gaza, as hundreds of thousands of residents were evacuated to hotels where they were provided with regular meals, according to a report by the "Haaretz" newspaper published today, Sunday.

The survey was conducted between May and November 2024, based on a sample of 5,000 adults, and relied on a shortened version of the US Department of Agriculture survey, consisting of six questions about the quantity and quality of food and its availability to the family.

The situation is directly related to income levels, with nearly half of families in the lower economic strata (47.6%) suffering from food insecurity.

The report warns of the broad impacts of this phenomenon on the Israeli economy, indicating that it reduces labor productivity, raises healthcare costs, and adversely affects the human capital of younger generations.