81. Israel-Gaza crisis: Palestinian economy needs billions to rebuild and much more to grow

This episode of The Weekly Tradecast looks at the impact of the Israel-Gaza crisis on the Palestinian economy with UNCTAD economist Rami Alazzeh. Since the deadly assault by Hamas militants on October 7, Israel's military response has destroyed more than 37,000 buildings – about 18% of the Gaza Strip’s total structures – and displaced most of the 2.3 million people in the tiny enclave. With so much damaged or destroyed, UNCTAD says in a new report that rebuilding Gaza will take decades, a concerted international effort and many billions of dollars. That rebuilding will be all the more difficult given the already dire state of the economy from Israel’s decades-long blockade. When the war ends and investment is needed, recovery priorities for Gaza’s economy include supporting the workforce, restoring the airport, building a seaport and developing natural gas fields. Tune in to UNCTAD's Rami Alazzeh to learn more about Gaza's path to recovery and longer-term development.