UN experts urge Israel to end its financial stranglehold on OPT

UN human rights experts on Monday warned of a severe economic emergency in the occupied Palestinian territory, saying Israel’s financial restrictions and military actions have devastated livelihoods and violated international law, Anadolu reports. “Economic life in Gaza has been decimated by sheer physical destruction, blockade and siege, and repeated forced displacement,” the experts said in a statement. They noted that unemployment has surged above 80%, GDP has collapsed, and famine has been declared. The experts described a liquidity crisis in Gaza, with banks and ATMs destroyed and Israel blocking the inflow of new currency. Cash scarcity has driven soaring prices; cooking oil rose by 1,200% and flour by 5,000% by mid-2025. Humanitarian workers reportedly lose nearly 40% of their salaries […]