Banking

A Houthi drone exploded in Eilat on Wednesday afternoon, injuring at least 20 people — two of them seriously — in the third attack on the southern resort city in two weeks. Despite the strike, Israelis quickly returned to the malls and the promenade, which appeared busy just hours after the blast

Israel’s banking system is closing an unusually strong third quarter, with Bank Leumi and Mizrahi Tefahot—two of the country’s largest financial institutions—reporting a combined net profit exceeding NIS 4 billion. Leumi delivered a sharp double-digit rise in profitability, while Mizrahi Tefahot strengthened its leadership in credit and mortgages. Both banks also announced significant dividend distributions, reinforcing investor confidence

The Bank of Israel left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 4% on Monday, halting a cycle of two consecutive quarter-point cuts that began in November