Gaza War To Reverse Years Of Growth In Palestinian Economy: World Bank

War in Gaza will contribute to a reversal of seven years of growth in the Palestinian economy, now expected to shrink by nearly four percent this year, the World Bank said in a report on Tuesday. The World Bank said, the Gaza Strip - run by the Hamas Islamist group that is shunned by the West - will see contraction of as much as 15 percent, while a slight recovery in the fourth quarter could push West Bank growth to about 0.5 percent. The report said the downturn was a result of the 50-day war between Israeli forces and militants in Gaza, restrictions on the flow of goods into the enclave by Israel and Egypt and a drop in foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA). http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/news/economy/~3/N9D4KLm8t-o/story01.htm http://www.wochit.com