Khaberni - Hebrew media reported that Israel has incurred - since the start of its war on Iran and Lebanon which entered its 38th day - costs amounting to about 15 billion dollars, at a time when mutual threats among the parties of the conflict signal a broader escalation.
The Hebrew newspaper "Calcalist" reported that the cost of the ongoing war with Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon has risen to about 47 billion shekels (about 15 billion dollars), and is expected to rise in the upcoming period as fighting continues and its economic impact widens.
The newspaper - specialized in economic affairs - mentioned that the Israeli Defense Ministry has requested about 39 billion shekels (12.4 billion dollars) to cover military expenditures, with expectations that this figure might increase by the year 2026 if the war continues or similar rounds of fighting recur.
It explained that the war - which has entered its sixth week - enhances the likelihood of increasing the security budget in the long term rather than decreasing it, in preparation for potential additional confrontations with Iran and Hezbollah.
26 thousand compensation claims
Regarding the civilian side, the newspaper reported that about 26,000 claims for compensation for damages caused by missile strikes have been recorded, estimated to be worth between 1 and 1.5 billion shekels (320 to 450 million dollars), but it considered that these direct damages do not represent the largest burden on the budget.
It affirmed that the main burden lies in the compensation plan for companies and workers, estimated to be about 6.5 to 7 billion shekels (between 2.1 and 2.3 billion dollars), in addition to about half a billion shekels (160 million dollars) to cover the costs of workers who were sent on unpaid leave.
"Calcalist" predicted that the government would press to ease the restrictions imposed on economic activities in an attempt to minimize losses and reduce the cost of war on the economy.
Severe losses in the agricultural sector
In this context, the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the Israeli agricultural sector has suffered severe losses due to the war, as farmers are unable to export their products.
It stated that farmers are incurring losses estimated at tens of millions of shekels (1 dollar = 3.13 shekels) due to the significant challenges they face in exporting their products, and they are demanding urgent assistance from the Ministry of Finance.
Regarding the sector of vegetable cultivation for manufacturing, the newspaper stated that it was severely affected as processing factories (related to canning) in northern Israel were forced to reduce their activities, which impacted the receipt of products.
Since February 28, Israel and the United States have been waging a war on Iran that has resulted in thousands of Iranian casualties and deaths, while Tehran responds by launching rockets and drones towards Israel.
Hezbollah entered the fray on March 2 in response to ongoing attacks by Tel Aviv on the country, despite a ceasefire agreement in effect since November 2024, and the assassination of the Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, while Israel responded by expanding its aggression on Lebanese territory.
