Impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on the labour market and livelihoods in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

The conflict is resulting in a deep humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with huge implications on the labour market, employment prospects and livelihoods, not only within Gaza, but also in the West Bank. Entire neighbourhoods in Gaza have been destroyed, infrastructure has been severely damaged, businesses have closed, large-scale internal displacement has occurred, and the lack of water, food and fuel are severely crippling economic activity. Initial estimates suggest that a minimum of 61 per cent of employment has been lost in Gaza, equivalent to 182,000 jobs. The conflict in Gaza is also having spillover effects in the West Bank, where initial estimates suggest that around 24 per cent of employment has also been lost.