ILO Governing Body 352: UK Statement on development cooperation in Palestine

At this meeting last year I spoke of the suffering experienced by Palestinians and Israelis since the horrific events of 7 October. One year on, the situation in Gaza is intolerable. As we all know, over 40,000 people have now been killed and at least 100,000 injured. More than 100 people are still held. Over 85% of Gaza is subject to evacuation notices. More than 90% of the population has been displaced. The onset of winter will exacerbate already dire needs amongst the population. The fighting must end, the hostages must be freed, and the aid must flow safely and freely. And we must work with fresh vigour towards a two-state solution in which both Palestinians and Israelis can live in safety and security.

The ongoing conflict has had a profound impact on the Palestinian economy, not only in Gaza, but also in the West Bank. The private sector is key to economic growth and stability in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. So, we are concerned that ILO surveys report that private sector workers are bearing the brunt of the crisis with substantial job losses and reductions in full-time employment and wages. The report also details that almost 99 per cent of West Bank enterprises experience challenges that have impacted their operations, production capacity and sales and profits.

The UK has strengthened our support to the private sector in light of these challenges, including providing assistance to identify new markets for their goods and services, and supporting measures to reduce operating costs for Palestinian businesses. We urge Israel to remove restrictions on trade to sustain Palestinian jobs and support the recovery of the Palestinian private sector.

Israel's revocation of 200,000 permits for Palestinian workers in Israel is seriously impacting the Palestinian economy, removing a key income source. While we recognise legitimate Israeli security concerns, we nonetheless urge the Israeli government to reinstate work permits at scale, as well as reducing barriers to Palestinian trade and supporting private sector recovery. This is in the interest of both parties.

The agricultural sector is of vital importance to the Palestinian labour market, particularly the olive harvest which provides an income for around 90,000 families. Israeli restrictions, in addition to record levels of settlement expansion and settler violence, are significantly undermining this sector. We call on Israel to ensure that all Palestinians in the West Bank can participate in the olive harvest and benefit from their olive trees. International law obliges Israel to protect Palestinians and not to obstruct their economic development.

Chair, we commend the actions of ILO staff in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the continued roll out and expansion of the emergency response programme, and the ILO's close collaboration with other UN partners.