Gaza's gross domestic product (GDP) has contracted by 86 percent year on year in the first three months of 2024 amid intensifying Israeli attacks, according to data released by Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) on Thursday.
The PCBS statement shows that the GDP of Palestine in the first quarter of 2024 declined by 35 percent year on year, while that of the Gaza Strip sharply shrank by 86 percent due to ongoing Israeli attacks, indicating that the local economic system has collapsed.
The West Bank also saw a year-on-year contraction by 25 percent.
Palestine's GDP per capita was 491 U.S. dollars in the first three months of 2024, down 36 percent compared to the same period of last year, with that of the Gaza Strip decreased by 86 percent.
Gaza's GDP contracts 86 pct amid Israeli attacks
Gaza's GDP contracts 86 pct amid Israeli attacks
With the approval of the China National Space Administration, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has acquired lunar soil samples retrieved by Chang'e-5, and will conduct in-depth studies on the samples, the university announced Wednesday.
The samples include one set of 400 milligrams shoveled from the Moon surface and another set of 42.6 milligrams retrieved by deep drilling.
The samples shoveled from the lunar surface were retrieved with special mechanical device developed by a research team of the PolyU.
Researchers at the university said they will study the microstructure of fused debris in the lunar soil, the water content in it and its origin.
The research is expected to contribute to the understanding of soil formation on the surface of the Moon and other celestial bodies without atmosphere, as well as water resources affected by solar wind.
The Chang'e-5 probe was launched in November 2020. It collected 1,731 grams of lunar samples and returned to Earth in December.
Hong Kong's PolyU receives Chang'e-5-retrieved lunar samples
