Israel deports thousands of Palestinian workers back

Al-Sajda is among about 18,000 Palestinians from Gaza who are allowed to work in Israel, a coveted permit in Gaza, where unemployment is as high as 50%.

Israel began issuing permits in recent years, a measure seen as helping to stabilize Gaza and moderate Hamas, despite a broader blockade aimed at weakening the Islamist militant group.

Thousands of workers from Gaza were in Israel when the fighting began. Photo: AP

Late Thursday, Israel announced it would revoke the workers' permits and deport them. Israel has said little about the Palestinian workers since the Hamas attack on October 7.

Workers sent home on Friday spoke of a massive roundup and detention, with at least one, 61-year-old Mansour Warsh Agha, even being returned in a body bag.

The Warsh Agha family last heard from Mansour on October 7. They eventually learned that he had been arrested at the Qalandiya checkpoint on the edge of Jerusalem, along with other workers trying to flee to the West Bank border area as the army closed the area.

Those arrested were taken to the Anatot and Ofer military prisons in the West Bank. “For three days, we remained handcuffed and blindfolded,” said Al-Sajda, a Palestinian worker who returned to Gaza on Friday.

Israeli officials confirmed to the AP that thousands of workers were in Israel at the time of the Hamas attack and some of them were detained.

Officials speaking on condition of anonymity said there was no indication at this time that the workers had any role in assisting Hamas in the massacre of Israelis on October 7.

The Palestinian workers who were rounded up said Israeli soldiers confiscated their money and mobile phones. On Friday, they said they never got their belongings back.

Mai Anh (according to AP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/israel-truc-xuat-hang-nghin-cong-nhan-palestine-tro-lai-vung-chien-su-gaza-post271107.html