At Least 66% of Jobs Lost in Gaza, More Losses Possible, ILO Says 

Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike on Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, 20 December 2023. (EPA)
Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike on Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, 20 December 2023. (EPA)
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At Least 66% of Jobs Lost in Gaza, More Losses Possible, ILO Says 

Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike on Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, 20 December 2023. (EPA)
Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike on Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, 20 December 2023. (EPA)

At least 66% of jobs have been lost in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted in October, the International Labor (ILO) said on Wednesday, warning that employment losses could continue to increase in the enclave.

The losses amount to a total of 192,000 jobs in the small Palestinian territory, the ILO said in its second assessment of the impact of Israeli ground and air strikes on Gaza which began after a deadly cross-border incursion by Hamas gunmen on Oct. 7.

In a first assessment released in early November, ILO estimated that 182,000 jobs had been lost in Gaza, a figure representing more than 60% of employment.

"Today hardly anybody in Gaza is able to earn income from work," said Peter Rademaker, ILO deputy regional director for the Arab states.

"It's clearly a still growing curve," he said of employment loss. "It might even get worse."

Jobs are also being lost on a large scale in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where the United Nations has recorded an uptick in violence against Palestinians since the outbreak of the conflict.

ILO estimated that around 32% of employment has been lost since Oct. 7, equivalent to 276,000 jobs.

Even before the war and the tightening of Israel's economic blockade of the Gaza Strip, around half of the narrow coastal enclave's 2.3 million people lived below the poverty line.



GACA to Showcase Saudi Aviation Achievements at Bahrain International Airshow

GACA to Showcase Saudi Aviation Achievements at Bahrain International Airshow
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GACA to Showcase Saudi Aviation Achievements at Bahrain International Airshow

GACA to Showcase Saudi Aviation Achievements at Bahrain International Airshow

The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) will take part in the seventh edition of the Bahrain International Airshow, which will be held from November 13 to 15 at Sakhir Airbase.

The event will showcase the achievements of the Saudi aviation sector, highlight significant investment opportunities available, reinforce the Kingdom's leadership in the global aviation arena, and explore avenues for collaboration to develop a more prosperous aviation sector.
GACA Spokesperson Ibtisam Al-Shehri said that at the airshow, the authority will present its initiatives to develop regulations that promote growth and innovation in the Kingdom's aviation sector, and highlight the achievements of the National Aviation Strategy, which aims to secure $100 billion in investments, boost passenger traffic to 330 million and link the Kingdom to 250 international destinations by 2030.
She added that GACA will also introduce the Civil Aviation Environmental Sustainability Program, and emphasize its expertise in enhancing passenger experience and streamlining operational procedures, all in accordance with the latest international standards.
The Bahrain International Airshow will feature 11 sponsoring companies, 223 civil and military delegations from 56 countries, and more than 135 local, regional, and global companies.