Palestine’s GDP plummets 29% during Israel’s war on Gaza: UN
The Palestinian economy has contracted 29 percent since the Gaza war began, according to a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO), a UN agency.
Gaza has borne the brunt with its economy collapsing by 87.4 percent between 2023 and 2025. The occupied West Bank has also suffered severely with its GDP falling 17.1 percent over the same period.
Unemployment has surged to about 32 percent for both men and women while the number of Palestinians working in Israel has plummeted from 178,000 to just 35,300 – an 80 percent drop.
“Immediate and coordinated measures are needed in the context of the ceasefire to sustain jobs and businesses, support incomes and strengthen social protection,” said Ruba Jaradat, ILO’s regional director for Arab states.
Movement restrictions have intensified dramatically with 849 Israeli checkpoints now set up across the occupied West Bank, the report said.
Politicians threaten voting rights for Israelis refusing military service
Israel’s opposition is taking an increasingly hardline stance against ultra-Orthodox draft exemptions as a massive protest looms on Thursday in West Jerusalem.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid threatened the most drastic measure yet by revoking voting rights for those who refuse military service. “Whoever does not enlist, will not vote in the elections,” he said.
Benny Gantz condemned the planned rally as “dangerous for Israeli society” and directly challenged protesters.
“You didn’t carry the burden,” said Gantz, referring to the war on Gaza, and now are “poking a finger in the eye” of those who did.
The backlash intensified after Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and other Likud members said they’re considering joining Thursday’s ultra-Orthodox demonstration against conscription.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews protest an army recruitment law in 2024
