TULKARM, PALESTINE - 2026/03/30: Long queues of vehicles are seen gathering at a checkpoint in the West Bank. Israeli forces closed the Anab military checkpoint east of Tulkarm in the West Bank after soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian policeman. The army accused him of attempting to run over a group of soldiers at the checkpoint. (Photo by Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
LET CHILDREN LIVE. PLEASE PRAY FOR THE CHILDREN OF PALESTINE’S WEST BANK
Please pray that families of West Bank children are able to manage financially.
Pray that our merciful and gracious God protects and sustains the children and youth of the West Bank. Pray that the children’s parents may find work and that the children have food to sustain their bodies. Pray that our omniscient and omnipotent God address the systems of oppression and exploitation that are undermining viability of life in the West Bank; pray that the economic stranglehold on the West Bank is broken. Pray that West Bank youth are given a hopeful future rather than disappointment and disillusionment.
Context: Economic Situation in the West Bank of Palestine
The West Bank economy is teetering toward collapse, facing its deepest crisis in decades. The severe economic crisis has dramatically increased poverty, caused widespread food insecurity, forced children into labor and severely disrupted their education and daily life.
What are the causes of the economic collapse?
Unemployment Surge: Work permits for nearly 200,000 Palestinians previously employed in Israel were revoked after late 2023, depriving the local economy of roughly $400 million monthly.
Movement Restrictions: Hundreds of military checkpoints, closures, and roadblocks inside the territory restrict the transit of goods and labor, spiking consumer prices and strangling small businesses.
Banking and Cash Crisis: Palestinian banks are overwhelmed with physical Israeli shekels because the Bank of Israel refuses to accept excess paper currency back, blocking electronic transfers and supplier payments. Furthermore, major Israeli banks are threatening to sever ties with West Bank correspondent banks.
Fiscal Paralysis: The Palestinian Authority faces bankruptcy due to withheld customs clearance revenues and exhausted borrowing limits, leaving public servants and healthcare workers only partially paid.
Additional information:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fde4VHf_kE
https://jstreet.org/the-post-october-7-status-of-the-west-bank-economy/
