When the World Bank Assesses the War in Ukraine and the Conflicts in Palestine and Lebanon

Between February and March 2025, the World Bank (WB) published three assessment reports on the economic toll of the “war” in Ukraine and the “conflicts” in Gaza and Lebanon. These reports lend themselves to a comparative reading of their assessment methodology, which is supposed to be “well-established and globally recognized” (WB 2025a, p. 52). A cross-analysis offers a critical perspective on the political construction of WB assessments and, a fortiori, on their multiple use as instruments within international relations.

In the WB’s reports on Palestine, the term “war” never appears in the text; they refer exclusively to “conflicts” (the 2023 conflict, the 2021 conflict, the 2014 conflict, etc.). Similarly, in reports on Lebanon, the term “war” also does not appear, except in a few bibliographic references, and the only occurrence of the term “Israel” is found in a footnote citation.

By omitting any reference to warfare or aggressors in the Lebanese and Palestinian contexts, the Bank effectively depoliticizes the violence. It erases the possibility of recognizing war crimes.

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