World Bank says Palestinian economy will grow if Israel lifts West Bank restrictions

The World Bank published a report on Tuesday stating that the Palestinian economy could expand by up to a third if Israel were to lift its restrictions on the 60 per cent of the occupied West Bank that it controls.

“More than half the land in the West Bank, much of it agricultural and resource rich, is inaccessible to Palestinians,” said the bank. The report estimates the loss to the Palestinian economy at $3.4 billion, equivalent to €2.4 billion.

“If businesses and farms were permitted to develop in Area C, this would add as much as 35 per cent to the Palestinian GDP,” the bank added.