A Hebrew newspaper reported on Sunday that Israel has incurred costs of about $15 billion since the start of its war on Iran and Lebanon, warning that the figure is expected to rise as fighting continues and its economic impact expands.
The economic daily Calcalist said the cost of the ongoing war with Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon has reached around 47 billion shekels (about $15 billion), and is likely to increase in the coming period if the conflict continues and its economic consequences widen.
The paper added that Israel’s Ministry of Defence has requested about 39 billion shekels ($12.4 billion) to cover military expenses, with expectations that this figure could rise in 2026 if the war continues or similar rounds of fighting take place.
It noted that the war, now in its sixth week, is increasing the likelihood of a long-term rise in the defence budget rather than a reduction, as Israel prepares for possible further confrontations with Iran and Hezbollah.
On the civilian side, the newspaper said around 26,000 compensation claims have been filed for damage caused by missiles, estimated at between 1 and 1.5 billion shekels ($320–450 million). However, it added that these direct damages do not represent the largest burden on the budget.
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