Israel's 12-month budget deficit surges to 35.4 bln USD

JERUSALEM, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli Finance Ministry reported on Thursday that the nation's 12-month budget deficit has escalated to 132.2 billion shekels (35.4 billion U.S. dollars), or 7 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), as of the end of April.

The ministry highlighted a 35.8 percent year-on-year surge in government spending during the initial four months of 2024, totaling 195.3 billion shekels.