By Junex Doronio
DESPITE THE WARNING OF ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu of a “long and difficult war” with the Hamas militants of Palestine, the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday expressed confidence that the Middle East conflict will have little effect on food production in the Philippines.
In a statement, DA Assistant Secretary for Operations Arnel de Mesa said that the conflict would have “very little impact” on food supply.
He noted, however, that Israel being a longtime trade partner of the Philippines, has been importing desiccated coconut, pineapple juice and concentrates, and other mixtures from Filipino producers.
De Mesa further said that total exports to Israel reached 3.441 million kilograms last year, while 3.366 million kilograms of various agricultural commodities have been exported there from January to June.
The Philippines also imported $3.28 million worth of fertilizer from Israel in 2022, according to the DA.
The Hamas militants launched an attack from the Gaza Strip on Saturday that has so far killed at least 800 Israelis and injured 2,600 more, the Israeli government said.
Retaliatory Israeli air strikes on Gaza targets have killed 687 people and wounded another 3,727, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry.
Maharlika NuMedia gathered that Israel only captured Gaza during the so-called Six-Day-War in 1967.
In 2006, Hamas won local elections in Gaza then took sole control of it in 2007.
But despite Hamas’ electoral victory, Gaza has been under a strict Israeli blockade, dependent on the Israeli government for electricity, water and telecommunications.
Israel is a small country in the Middle East about the size of the state of New Jersey.
The country has a diverse climate with snowy mountains in the north and the hot desert in the south. Jordan, Syria, and the Palestinian Authority all border Israel to the east. (ai/mnm)