Israel counts high cost of Iran war as censorship masks full damage
With the war now over, media reports are beginning to reveal the full extent of the destruction caused by Iranian missiles on Israel during the war last month.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a "historic victory" after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire on 23 June.
He hailed the opening strikes as a major achievement and vowed that Israel would not remain "complacent" about any renewed threats.
However, Netanyahu also acknowledged that Israel suffered heavy losses.
The Israeli Ministry of Health reported that 29 people were killed and 3,238 wounded, some critically, as a result of Iranian attacks.
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The war also caused widespread damage to infrastructure, property, and buildings across the country.
The Ministry of Finance estimates the total cost of the conflict at 10bn shekels ($3bn).
Direct damage from Iranian missile strikes is assessed at three to five billion shekels ($900m to $1.5bn) with indirect losses projected to be of a similar scale, according to TheMarker.
Data published in Maariv indicated that more than 1,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed, primarily in central cities such as Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv, Ness Ziona, and Bat Yam.
Additional destruction was reported in Beersheba and Haifa, the largest cities in southern and northern Israel, respectively.
The Israel Tax Authority said over 46,000 compensation claims have been filed for damage to homes, vehicles, property, and equipment.
According to The Times of Israel, around 18,000 residents were forced to evacuate their homes, with most relocated to hotels at the government’s expense.
During much of the 12-day conflict, only essential workers were permitted to report to work, as Defence Minister Israel Katz imposed a nationwide state of emergency.
The economic toll was significant. The Manufacturers Association, quoted in Ynet, estimated that the shutdown cost the economy approximately 1.5 billion shekels per day ($450m).
Critical sites were also hit, including the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Bazan’s oil refineries in Haifa, and Soroka Hospital in Beersheba. The direct damage to these facilities alone is estimated to exceed 3 billion shekels ($900m).
TheMarker reported that damage at the Weizmann Institute was especially severe.
“Initial estimates put the direct damage to buildings and equipment at 1.5 to 2 billion shekels ($450 to $600m), but the long-term scientific and economic losses are far greater, some of them incalculable,” the report stated.
Censored damage
Yet not all the destruction Israel suffered during the conflict was reported.
The Israeli military censor is preventing the publication of Iranian missile impact on military infrastructure.
The Telegraph reported this week that "Iranian missiles appear to have directly hit five Israeli military facilities," in the north, south and centre of Israel.
Israeli news outlet Walla on Wednesday reported that Netanyahu’s office at the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv will be unusable for up to four months due to extensive renovations.
The Kirya, Israel’s central military headquarters, houses top military command and key defence offices.
It was evacuated following Iranian missile strikes on the building last month.
Last week, left-wing journalist Raviv Drucker criticised the heavy censorship imposed by Israel on the true extent of the attacks.
“Many of the Iranian strikes have gone unreported,” he said, noting that Iran had succeeded in hitting multiple military bases and strategic targets. According to Drucker, military censors have blocked the release of specific locations, arguing it could assist Iran in refining its missile accuracy.
However, he questioned that justification, suggesting the real motive was to manage public morale and control the narrative. “It’s hard not to suspect that the real reason is essentially semi-Iranian: propaganda and preserving public spirit. The truth is, we were also deterred,” he remarked.
A source in a government ministry told The Times of Israel that he estimates the war's military costs amount to more than 20 billion shekels ($5.6bn).
The figure reportedly includes the cost of ammunition, aircraft fuel, the operation of Israel’s defence systems, and the large-scale mobilisation of reservists for strikes across Iran.
In addition, The Telegraph reported that the United States launched around 36 THAAD missiles to support Israel’s air defence. Each missile is estimated to cost $12 million.
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