Half of Palestinians Live in Poverty, Report Says

Despite a slowdown in fighting, the Palestinian economy remains crippled by four years of conflict with Israel and nearly half the population survives on less than $2 a day, the World Bank said.

Since the current wave of violence began in 2000, economic activity has plummeted, while poverty and unemployment climbed sharply, the report says. It cites Israel’s “closure” policies -- a series of measures aimed at restricting the movement of Palestinian people and products and meant to boost Israeli security -- as the main cause of economic hardship in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.