In Numbers: Gaza Sector Drowned in Unemployment and the Productive Sector Erodes

SadaNews - The Central Bureau of Statistics reported that the Gaza Strip is drowning in unemployment following two years of the genocide war that has affected all aspects of life.

The "statistics" explained in a report issued on the occasion of World Statistics Day, which falls on this Monday, under the slogan "High-quality statistics and data for the benefit of all," that the unemployment rate in Palestine has risen during the aggression of the occupation on the West Bank and Gaza Strip to reach 50%, with 34% in the West Bank and 80% in Gaza, numbering about 550,000 unemployed individuals in Palestine.

It pointed out that the occupation has constrained the movement of workers within the lands of 1948. Before October 7, 2023, data indicates that about 180,000 workers were regularly employed in Israel and the settlements, and the income generated from that employment was considered one of the most important pillars relied upon to drive the Palestinian economy.

Construction Bears the Highest Cost

The "statistics" clarified that the Israeli occupation destroyed more than 85% of the infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, thereby destroying most economic activities in Gaza; at the sectoral level, agriculture, forestry, and fishing have registered a decline of 30% (6% in the West Bank and 94% in Gaza), mining, manufacturing, water, and electricity activities decreased by 33% (26% in the West Bank and 94% in Gaza), construction activity declined by 57% (48% in the West Bank and 98% in Gaza), and services decreased by 27% (15% in the West Bank and 83% in Gaza).

Statistics prove that what Palestinians are facing is not just numbers, but a reality we live and reflect to the world, serving as a living testimony to our people's suffering and their resilience against the brutal Israeli aggression.

About 90% of Gaza is Destroyed and 380 Demolition Operations in the West Bank

Since the onset of aggression on October 7, 2023, the occupation has destroyed more than 102,067 buildings completely, while approximately 192,812 buildings have been significantly damaged. The number of housing units that have been completely or partially destroyed is estimated at no less than 330,500 units, in addition to the destruction of schools, universities, hospitals, mosques, churches, and government facilities, alongside thousands of buildings from economic establishments, and the destruction of all aspects of infrastructure such as roads, water and electricity lines, sewage lines, and agricultural lands, making Gaza an unlivable place.

In the West Bank, according to data from the Wall and Settlement Resistance Authority, during the first half of 2025, the Israeli occupation carried out a total of 380 demolition operations targeting a total of 588 facilities in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, of which 322 were inhabited residences. The demolition operations in the Jerusalem Governorate amounted to 67, resulting in 79 demolished facilities. Such practices, which aim to uproot Palestinians from their homes and lands, constitute a violation of human rights regarding the right to housing.

Severe Humanitarian Crisis: 85% of Water and Sewage Networks Destroyed in Gaza

Preliminary assessments have shown that more than 85% of water and sewage facilities and assets in the Gaza Strip have completely or partially ceased operation due to the Israeli aggression, with an estimated rehabilitation cost exceeding $1.5 billion, including treatment and desalination plants, pumping stations, wells, tanks, transport lines, and water and sewage networks.

This destruction has led to a sharp decline in water supply rates, as approximately 49% of households in the sector barely receive less than 6 liters per day for drinking and cooking, which is far below the humanitarian minimum estimated at about 15 liters per person according to World Health Organization standards.

Unprecedented Inflation Burdens Palestinians

After two years of Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, consumer prices have risen more than five times since October 7, 2023 (512%), while the consumer price index in the West Bank remained stable during the same period.

During the first eight months of 2025, compared to the same period last year, the cost of living index recorded a sharp increase of 33% for Palestine, driven by the acute rise in consumer goods that the Gaza Strip is still suffering from amid the ongoing aggression of the Israeli occupation, reaching an increase of 78% for the same period, while prices in both the West Bank and Jerusalem remained high, but at a lower intensity than last year, registering an increase of 1.54% in Jerusalem and 0.21% in the West Bank for the first eight months of 2025.

High Rates of Food Insecurity Threaten the Lives of Palestinians in Gaza

Before the aggression on the Gaza Strip, poverty rates exceeded 63%, with the poverty line in Palestine being about 2,717 Israeli shekels, while the extreme (severe) poverty line was around 2,170 Israeli shekels. After the ongoing aggression on the Gaza Strip, it can be said that we have surpassed the concept of poverty, and we are now talking about different levels of famine.

The total consumption also declined by 31% (by about 13% in the West Bank and 80% in Gaza), reflecting the direct impact on the standard of living for individuals in Palestine, accompanied by a rise in the unemployment rates in the country.

In other words, it can be said that most individuals in the Gaza Strip suffer from high levels of food insecurity.

Data indicates that about 96% of the population in the Gaza Strip (2.1 million people) face high levels of acute food insecurity.

Numbers That Embody Tragedy and Document the Truth

According to figures released by the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 68,116 citizens have been martyred in the Gaza Strip, including about 18,592 children, around 12,400 women, in addition to about 11,200 missing persons, and approximately 170,200 have been injured, as of 18/10/2025.

This aggression has also led to the displacement of more than two million Palestinians who have endured the bitter suffering of displacement multiple times since the ongoing brutal Israeli aggression since October 7, 2023.

In the West Bank, the Israeli occupation continues its aggression; as 1,054 citizens have been martyred, and 9,034 others have been injured as a result of attacks by Israeli occupation forces and settlers.