The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) warns that if the conflict in Gaza persists for another month, the poverty rate in Palestine is projected to surge by 34 per cent, pushing nearly half a million more people into poverty.

According to an assessment report titled “The Gaza War: Expected Socio-Economic Impacts on the State of Palestine,” released a day ago, the UNDP reveals that after the first month of the conflict, poverty increased by 20pc, and the GDP declined by 4.2pc.

The report further emphasised that the International Labour Organisation estimates a loss of 390,000 jobs due to the ongoing conflict.