Defense Budget Deal Sends Immediate Billions to IDF

Ynet reported at 18:20 IDT, after Israel Hayom's 17:45 report, that the Finance and Defense ministries reached understandings to transfer immediate billions to the IDF for the 2026 defense-budget gap. Israel Hayom said the deal brings the practical defense budget to NIS 158 billion, matching TheMarker's July 1 assessment that the budget was moving toward that record level; Ynet and Israel Hayom put the first tranche at NIS 15 billion, with about NIS 25 billion more to be reviewed later. The gap grew from the long Iran war, the southern Lebanon security zone and far heavier reserve mobilization than planned. Israel needs fiscal discipline, but readiness cannot wait while every front remains active.