Middle East News Network: According to the news agency Bloomberg, an official at the Israeli Ministry of Finance stated that Tel Aviv expects the cost of one week of a full shutdown to reach approximately $2.9 billion.
\nThe official explained that preliminary estimates indicate that the halt of economic activities and the security measures associated with the escalation will lead to significant economic losses during the shutdown period.
\nJust days after the start of the war, the Ministry of Finance in the Government of Israel revealed shocking data regarding the scale of economic strain caused by the direct military confrontation with Iran, estimating losses at 9.4 billion shekels, equivalent to $2.9 billion per week.
\nThese figures come amid the imposition of a maximum state of emergency known as the \u201cRed Level,\u201d which has caused a near-total paralysis in production sectors due to strict restrictions on workers\u2019 movement and the closure of educational institutions.
\nInformed sources indicated that the ministry is working to ease the financial burden by requesting a reduction in the alert level to the \u201cOrange Level,\u201d a step aimed at reactivating workplaces and reducing weekly losses to approximately 4.3 billion shekels.
\nThese moves coincide with the continuation of airstrike campaigns launched by Israel and the United States, which have been met with wide-ranging Iranian responses involving missiles and drones targeting vital locations.
\nOn the ground, officials confirmed that military operations could extend for several more weeks, meaning continued disruption of public life, bans on gatherings, and widespread reliance on remote work across most non-essential sectors.
\nThe escalation has also triggered severe disturbances in global energy markets, particularly with disruptions affecting oil exports from the Gulf region, adding both international and domestic pressure on decision-makers in Tel Aviv.
\nIsraeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned that the total cost of the war is likely to rise to unprecedented levels, noting the difficulty of absorbing these emergency expenses within next year\u2019s budget.
\nSmotrich added that the public deficit now threatens to exceed 3.9%, surpassing all previous financial projections set before the outbreak of the current confrontation with Tehran.
\nIn a related development, economic reports revealed the allocation of an additional 9 billion shekels to the Ministry of Defense, on top of the previously approved 2026 budget of 112 billion shekels.
\nWith this increase, the security budget is expected to reach a record level of no less than 121 billion shekels, aimed at covering the costs of munitions, the mobilization of reserve forces, and securing the home front facing ongoing missile threats.
\nSource: Bloomberg + media reports.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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