Palestine Built 'Resilient' Economy Despite Israeli Occupation - Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah

Palestine has managed to build a sustainable economy even under conditions of the Israeli occupation, with the country showing gradual economic growth, Palestinian National Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah said on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum (WEF) session in Davos

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd January, 2019) Palestine has managed to build a sustainable economy even under conditions of the Israeli occupation, with the country showing gradual economic growth, Palestinian National Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah said on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum (WEF) session in Davos.

"Really, our situation is unique in Palestine, imagine the country working under occupation ... We have been 52 years under occupation, if you talk about the West Bank only, you talk about 61 percent of the land under full Israeli occupation ... If you talk about Gaza, Gaza has been under siege for the last 12 years. And despite all of this, we have actually been able to build a resilient economy," Hamdallah said.

According to the prime minister, Palestine has recently enjoyed a growth ratio of 2.

3 percent, which the prime minister characterized as "incredible," taking into account the circumstances.

"We have seen the manifestations of the fourth industrial revolution in Palestine," Hamdallah added.

For decades, Israel has been in conflict with the Palestinians, who have been seeking diplomatic recognition for their state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which are partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government refuses to recognize Palestine as an independent political and diplomatic entity and continues to build settlements in the occupied areas, despite objections from the international community.