Israel war: new cloud among many – IMF chief

The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday the attack in Gaza is another cloud on a horizon with plenty of them, Reuters reported.

She also warned that the global economic outlook could worsen in light of the ongoing attacks.

“What we see is more jitters in what has already been an anxious world,” Kristalina Georgieva said at the FII investment conference in Riyadh.

“And on a horizon that had plenty of clouds, one more – and it can get deeper.”

The conference is traditionally focused on cutting deals, but has instead been overshadowed by Israel’s intensifying bombardment of Gaza.

Georgieva said the IMF’s first concern was “the tragic loss of life”, even though widespread impacts were already apparent.

Long-term consequences include children forced out of school, and what could be an impact on neighbouring countries’ tourism sectors.

“Uncertainty is a killer for tourists inflows. Investors are going to be shy to go to that place.” she added.

Israel killed around 6,000 Palestinian innocent civilians in just 18 days, 60 percent of which are women and children.