Relentless Israeli restrictions and aggressions against the Occupied Palestinian territories inflicted the drained -out economy losses cost at $15.6 billion in the five years of al Aqsa Intifada.
A report, commissioned by Palestinian National Information Center (PNIC)-Gaza based, said that the Israeli policy of implementing the collective punishment caused a very severe socio-economic crisis, beside, the Israeli domination of the Palestinian economic tools in the all the economic systems either the monetary, foreign trade or revenues strengthen the Palestinian fully economy surveillance to the Israelis.
PNIC’s report figured out that the army’s measures build in the setback of all encompassing of the General Domestic Production (GDC) to 40% and the soar of the unemployment to 27% till the first quarter of 2005, compared to 10 % before the siege and closure of the Palestinian territories.
Unemployment rate went up to 208,000 labors, making up 62.6% of total Palestinian families, whose its income dropped down to a half during the Intifada , thus so far 48.7 per cent of the families hold its expenditures only on the basic food by the last 12 months.
The report said that the foreign aids enlisted to the Palestinian National Authority from the donors set back; by the end of September 2005 the PNA received only $290 million instead of $900 million, causing a deficit to 2005 budget by nearly $ 700 million.
As for the PNA revenues held by Israel, the due mount reached $35 million under pretenses that the some Israeli families and corporations filed compensation suits against the PNA for their casualties in addition to $28 million frozen in the American banks since late March, in a pursuant of a ruling by an American court.
The draconian measures which cripple the movement took a toll on the vivid productive industrial sector. 9000 industrial establishment, out of which 430 factories and workshops were fully destroyed by the Israeli occupation forces, thereby 7% of the industrial establishments are operating as the same productive capacity as pre-al Aqsa Intifada.
The hard- hit industries were food manufacturing, textiles and plastic.
The report deemed the construction of the Separation Wall by Israel has bitterly impacted the industrial sector as wall brings the closure of 1702 economic establishments in the West Bank until mid 2005.
The ongoing closure and siege on the occupied Palestinian territories and the hindrance of the free movement of the goods and individual in or out the Opt drop off the rate of the Palestinian imports to 44% compare to 2000 and 2003.
According to the report, the Palestinian exports witnessed a set back by 54% in 2002 in comparison to 2000. Meanwhile in 2003 the set back was 7% compared to 1999.
The World Bank estimated the losses of the Palestinian economy due to the drop of the investments to approximately $145 million.
The report pointed out the general domestic production within five years of the Intifada went down by 40%. The direct losses were estimated about $ 12.9 billion while the indirect losses were $ 2.6 billion. Thus, the total economic losses cost at $15.6 billion.
