Tel Aviv [Israel]: Israel’s Ministry of Transportation said that as part of the meeting to approve the 2024 state budget and in light of the ongoing war in Gaza, it agreed to cut its budget and pledged to finance the war and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. However, the ministry said it is preserving what it called the “main projects to maintain transportation continuity” such as the “Connecting Israel” rail project, safety baskets and dedicated budgets for the repair of red (emergency) roads and budgets for the restoration of transportation infrastructure in the areas near Gaza.
The “Connecting Israel” program, which includes the establishment of a network of railways for passengers and cargo, with a length of about 300 km, from Kiryat Shmona to Eilat.