Officials from the Accountant General's Office in Israel have held meetings with financial institutions in London to explore the possibility of an overseas debt issue. The country's risk premium and yields on government bonds have fallen since the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, but its sovereign credit rating has yet to improve. Economic forecasters believe a rating upgrade may come soon due to the improved risk premium, and an overseas debt issue could refresh Israel's sources of finance. Bank Hapoalim's chief economist believes that Israel could take advantage of the situation to make an offering overseas.