The impacts of the Gaza conflict are set to push crisis-hit Lebanon’s economy back into recession, the World Bank said, blaming mainly a “shock to tourism spending”, AFP reports.

The impact of the conflict had reversed a slight recovery for Lebanon, which has battled a deep economic crisis for years, the Washington-based bank said in a report.

“Prior to October 2023, economic growth was projected — for the first time since 2018 — to slightly expand in 2023,” by 0.2 per cent, the World Bank said.

But, it added, “the current conflict and its spillovers into Lebanon are expected to quickly reverse the tepid growth projected for 2023, as the economy returns to a recession”.