Palestinian Economy Has Been Devastated by War, World Bank Says

  • Gaza’s GDP plummeted by 80% in fourth quarter of 2023
  • Israel bars West Bank Palestinians from working in Israel now
Palestinians walk across the rubble of a collapsed building following an Israeli airstrike in the Zuwayida district of central Gaza on Feb. 22.Photographer: Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg
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The Palestinian economy, hobbled for years by Israeli occupation in the West Bank and the near-closure of the Gaza Strip’s borders with both Israel and Egypt, has suffered a devastating blow from Israel’s war against Hamas, the World Bank says in a new report.

The study says that since the start of the conflict on Oct. 7, “the Palestinian economy experienced one of largest shocks recorded in recent economic history.”