Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, has become the longest and most expensive war in Israel’s history, with costs reaching about 420 billion shekels ($136bn) and national debt rising by roughly 400 billion shekels, Haaretz newspaper reports.

The report said Israel entered its ground offensive in Gaza in late October 2023, expecting at least three months of fighting, despite ammunition stockpiles having been prepared for shorter wars.

A former Israeli military officer told Haaretz that stocks of some types of ammunition were insufficient even for a short war, while actual consumption in some categories reached twice the levels originally planned.