Finance Minister Yitzhak Moda’i told Israel’s Cabinet on Sunday that he has received requests for over $1 billion in additional funding to cover war-related expenses since the Persian Gulf war began three weeks ago.
The requests, which have come from various ministries, are in addition to the mounting claims by homeowners, mainly in the Greater Tel Aviv area, where nearly 6.000 buildings and apartments have been destroyed or damaged in Scud missile attacks by Iraq so far.
Another expense was incurred by some 2,000 residents made suddenly homeless who have been sheltered temporarily in hotels while more suitable accommodations are sought.
A total of 33 missiles have been fired into Israel since Jan. 18. Thirteen of them have struck the Greater Tel Aviv area.
A few hit the Greater Haifa area, causing negligible damage and no casualties. The rest of the country has been spared casualties or damage.
But in Tel Aviv and its neighboring townships, over 200 buildings have been leveled or damaged beyond repair.
Thousands of others have sustained damage that very in severity according to their distance from the point of impact.
Most of the damage consists of cracked walls and roof tiles, splintered glass, smashed shutters, cracked window frames and broken doors.
Homeowners submit their repair bills to their local municipalities, which in turn files claims with the Finance Ministry.
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