The Ministry of National Economy said today that 29% of the businesses in the West Bank were completely or partially closed during November while businesses in the Gaza Strip almost completely stopped due to the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza and the West Bank launched on October 7.

It said in a report that the monthly performance of 82.6% of the businesses had declined due to the recurring Israeli military incursions and raids of West Bank governorates, and 7.2% of businesses were attacked by the occupation forces and colonizers, causing direct damage to one of their fixed assets or their goods.

It indicated that sales in 94.2% of the West Bank businesses declined by an average of 54.6%, in addition to a decline in employees in 41.5% of the businesses by an average of 61.8%. The services sector also recorded the highest decline in the number of employees.

The Ministry said that production in 84.6% of the West Bank industries declined in November by an average of 43.5%, while 81.4% suffered from diffi
culty in moving and distributing goods between governorates due to Israeli measures on the ground such as the high number of military checkpoints, estimated last month at about 400 permanent or temporary military checkpoints, which split up the West Bank cities, towns and villages.

It said that the Jerusalem Index of the Palestine Exchange declined in November by 2.9% compared to the close of the index for the previous month, bringing the total decline to 11.3% since the beginning of the aggression in October after it increased by 2.3% since the beginning of the year until the November 6.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA