An explosion takes place during Israeli air strikes over Gaza, as seen from southern Israel, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, November 22, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Israelis deferred payment on nearly 3 billion shekels of loans in October as a result of Israel's war with Hamas, the banking regulator said on Wednesday. Following the attacks on Israel by Palestinian Hamas gunmen on Oct 7 and the subsequent war, the central bank's banking supervisor told banks to allow for loan deferrals and ease fees for households and businesses affected by the conflict. "It is important to emphasize to the public the significance of deferring loan repayments, and that borrowers should do so only if they really need to." ($1 = 3.7154 shekels)Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Banks Daniel Hahiashvili, Amir Yaron, Steven Scheer, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, Bank of, Data, deferrals, " Bank of Israel, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Bank of Israel, Palestinian