Israel’s government unveiled on Sunday a program that will provide approximately 20,000 opportunities for IDF reserve soldiers to purchase discounted apartments or land over the next two years, as officials seek to expand benefits for those who have served during the country’s ongoing wars.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Construction and Housing Minister Chaim Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the “From Reserve Duty to a Key” program, which will make about 16,000 apartments available through the government’s Target Price program and roughly 4,000 plots for ground-level construction during 2026 and 2027.

Successful applicants could receive discounts of more than NIS 500,000 ($167,000) on a new home, the government said.

Israel’s “Target Price” program, formerly known as the “Buyer’s Price” program, provides eligible first-time homebuyers the opportunity to purchase new apartments at prices below market value through government-run lotteries. Reservists have received priority in recent lotteries as the government has sought to provide additional benefits to those who have served during the war, many of them doing hundreds of days of duty.

The announcement comes after strong demand from reservists in the latest Discount Apartment lottery, in which 25,354 reservists registered and 4,734 won apartments, the government said. In the latest program, reservists will receive priority for 75 percent of apartments offered, compared to 50% in the most recent........

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