Israeli authorities rescue 10 Indian workers ‘lured’ to and held captive in West Bank

Workers were allegedly conned by Palestinians seeking entry into Israel. Rescue comes amid Israel's continued efforts to recruit Indians to tackle labour shortages in construction sector.

Representational image | ANI

New Delhi: In a significant overnight operation, Israeli authorities successfully rescued 10 Indian workers who had been held captive in a West Bank village for over a month, The Times of Israel reported.

According to the report, the workers, initially lured to al-Zaayem village with the promise of work, were trapped when their passports were seized by their captors, who tried to use the documents to smuggle into Israel illegally.

The Israeli Population and Immigration Authority, in collaboration with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Justice Ministry, coordinated the rescue operation, which safely took the workers to a secure location.

The IDF swiftly identified the illicit use of the workers’ passports and ensured they were returned to their rightful owners. The workers’ employment status is now under review as the authorities work to determine their legal standing in Israel.

The incident occurred amid an ongoing effort by Israel to recruit foreign workers to address labour shortages in the construction sector since December last year.

Approximately 16,000 Indian labourers have entered Israel in the past year, part of a government initiative to fill the gap left by the absence of tens of thousands of Palestinian workers, who were banned from entering the country following the Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack.

As part of efforts to fill the gap, Israel accelerated the recruitment of foreign workers, particularly from India. However, according to Eyal Argov from the Bank of Israel, the influx of Indian labourers still falls short of the workforce levels seen before the conflict.

Prior to the war, 80,000 Palestinian workers and 26,000 foreign labourers were employed in construction. Today, only around 30,000 foreign workers are available, resulting in a 25 percent reduction in sector activity compared to pre-war figures, The Times of Israel had earlier reported.

Nir Barkat, Israel’s Minister of Economy and Industry, who was in India last week, had earlier expressed optimism about strengthening business ties between the two countries across various sectors in an interview with The Times of India.

(Edited by Sugita Katyal)