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The Central Bank of Israel has kept the interest rate unchanged for the 13th consecutive time.
On August 20, Jin10 reported that the Central Bank of Israel has maintained interest rates for the 13th consecutive time, cautiously weighing the economic slowdown against the ongoing uncertainty brought about by the Gaza conflict. On Wednesday, the bank kept the benchmark interest rate at 4.5%, in line with market expectations. The day before this decision, Prime Minister Netanyahu's cabinet approved a budget increase equivalent to about 1.5% of GDP to cover war expenses. This year's revised budget added 30 billion shekels (about 8.8 billion USD) in defense spending, raising the estimated fiscal deficit from 4.9% to 5.2%. Israel plans to take control of Gaza City in the coming weeks, a move that will require the mobilization of tens of thousands of reserve soldiers and may further exacerbate supply chain tensions. A new ceasefire proposal put forward by Egypt and Qatar, which has been accepted by Hamas, could delay or even cancel the aforementioned plans. However, Israel has not yet clarified whether it is willing to cease fire immediately.