Ten Indian construction workers were rescued from a West Bank village where they had been held for over a month after being stripped of their passports, according to Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority. Local media reports stated that the workers were lured to the village of al-Zaayem with false promises of employment by Palestinians, who then took their passports and attempted to use them to cross into Israel.
Rescue operation
The workers, who had initially traveled to Israel for construction jobs, were freed in an overnight operation involving the Population and Immigration Authority, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and the Justice Ministry. Following their rescue, they were moved to a secure location while authorities determined their employment status.
Reports indicate that the IDF detected the illicit use of the stolen passports, eventually recovering and returning them to the workers. Some suspects were intercepted at a checkpoint, which led to the rescue operation.
Approximately 16,000 Indian workers have arrived in Israel in the past year to fill a labor shortage caused by Israel barring tens of thousands of Palestinian construction workers after Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023.
(With PTI inputs)