New Delhi: Around 12,000 Indians have been hired in Israel for work after October 2023, of which over 6,000 went to the West Asian country under the bilateral framework agreement signed between New Delhi and Tel Aviv in November last year, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in the Rajya Sabha Thursday.
“As of October 2024, there are around 32,000 Indian workers in Israel, out of whom approximately 12,000 Indians arrived in Israel after October 2023. Of these, 6,365 Indians arrived in Israel in 2024 under the bilateral framework agreement signed in November 2023, whereas the rest have arrived through private channels,” said Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, in response to a question in the Upper House.
The majority of the 6,365 Indian workers who went via the bilateral framework route were from Uttar Pradesh—-5,528. From Telangana, 306 workers arrived in Israel, while 179 workers from Haryana and 177 from Bihar also moved there for work. Indians from 17 states have been recruited for work in Israel till date, according to the MEA.
Furthermore, Singh highlighted that two Indians died in Israel due to attacks from Lebanon and Gaza in March and May this year, respectively, in a separate answer in the Rajya Sabha Thursday.
At least three Indians were injured due to rocket fire from Gaza on 7 October, 2023—the day Hamas operatives launched attacks on Israel, which killed close to 1,200 Israelis and saw at least another 250 individuals taken as hostages. In retaliation, Tel Aviv launched an invasion of Gaza, which has seen over 44,000 Palestinians killed.
In September this year, Israel expanded their operations into Lebanon, aimed at weakening the Hezbollah present in the southern part of the country. A number of senior officials of the organisation were killed, including its long-term leader Hasan Nasrallah.
On Wednesday, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire of hostilities. Tel Aviv’s operations in Gaza against Hamas, however, continue. As a result of the 7 October attack last year, Israel withdrew work permits for 13,000 Palestinians from Gaza, while, according to reports, another 2,00,000 Palestinians from the West Bank have lost their jobs.
In response to the need for workers, India and Israel had signed a bilateral framework agreement, where Indian workers enjoy equal treatment with respect to labour rights as Israeli citizens. The Indian workers are also provided with lodging, medical insurance and relevant social security coverage.
According to Singh, 220 Indians, who had arrived in Israel over the last year, have returned due to “skills mismatch” and problems with language.
The first batch of Indians, around 60 workers, had left for Israel in April under the framework.
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