JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel’s government was preparing an economic aid package for those impacted by attacks by Hamas militants that will be “bigger and broader” than during the COVID-19 pandemic, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters, Smotrich said Israel’s economy and fiscal position – such as a low debt-to-GDP ratio – was strong enough to support the military and civilian war efforts as needed.
“We have money and we will use it now for everything that is needed with a generous hand,” Smotrich said. “We have stopped everything that is not important in the budget and we are diverting everything to the needs of the war and supporting the economy.”
He added that in the coming days Israel would increase the budget framework in parliament to create “maximum flexibility for ourselves”.
(Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Alex Richardson)
