News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Bloggers have pointed out a bizarre set of statistics that indicate each Gaza Arab needs half a ton of flour every day. Articles in the Boston Globe, the Egyptian Al-Ahram paper, and elsewhere stated that Gaza Arabs need 680,000 tons of flour each day, only 90 tons of which is allowed to pass through Israeli crossings.

The reports claimed "a 99 percent reduction" from the amount of flour necessary due to the restrictions on imports through Israeli crossings.
 
Bloggers pointed out that even if one assumes that the population of Gaza is 1.5 million, as claimed by the Palestinian Authority, it is unlikely that each person would need almost half a ton of flour every day. According to the PA, Gaza Arabs actually require 350 tons of flour daily, not 680,000, but this figure also works out to 250 pounds of flour per resident.