With Gaza settlements slated for dismantling later this year, nobody would expect real estate prices there to go up. But in fact, the Jerusalem Post reports skyrocketing prices thanks to 4,000 foreign journalists planning to cover the disengagement. The sudden demand for housing has far exceeded availability.
“People want to be at the center of the action,” said Barak Cohen, a Neveh Dekalim resident. The 28-year-old contractor and his father purchased the deeds to four housing units in the settlement’s new western neighborhood about a year ago and began to build after the cabinet approved the disengagement plan.
Cohen has been contracted by the BBC, Reuters, Italian Television and other organizations searching for a spot near the action and willing to pay astronomical prices. One media company is contracted to pay Barak $8,400 for four months’ use of an unfinished three-bedroom apartment. Families who have recently moved to Gush Katif have rented apartments for $200 a month.
