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WASHINGTON, D.C., January 3, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A committee has recommended that Israel expand its national funding for abortion, as well as access – giving “free” abortions to women aged 20 to 33.

The recommendations are likely to be made law in 2014, thus expanding the number of abortions in the Middle Eastern state by 6,300 – and costing taxpayers $4.5 million.

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Current Israeli law allows abortion in almost any case, and the government pays for abortions for women under 18 and for medical reasons. Women under 20 and over 40 can have government-funded abortions under special circumstances, and women between those ages if rape, incest, and life of the mother are relevant.

While killing an unborn baby carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, numerous exceptions exist. Men have no say in the deaths of unborn children in the case of abortion, and minors are not required to inform parents if they are having an abortion.

Each woman in the Israeli military, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), is given at least one “free” abortion if she wants one.

Furthermore, while all women who want a publicly funded abortion must go before a government panel before having an abortion, The Times of Israel reports 98 percent of abortions are approved.

According to the Times, the committee would have expanded abortion further, but cost considerations prevented this from happening.

Private abortions cost approximately $1,600; expansion of public funding will cost $714 dollars per abortion, according to the committee.

There are currently 20,000 abortions performed annually at public hospitals in Israel.