Israel Rescues 10 Indian Construction Workers Held Captive in West Bank- wna24
Tel Aviv: Israeli authorities have rescued 10 Indian construction workers who were trapped in the West Bank for over a month after being deceived with false job offers and having their visas revoked. The workers, who had initially arrived in Israel for employment, were lured by Palestinians under the pretext of work, only to have their passports confiscated and be held captive.
The Indian embassy in Israel confirmed the development, stating, “Israeli authorities traced 10 missing Indian construction workers to the West Bank & have brought them back to Israel. While the matter is still under investigation, the Embassy is in touch with the Israeli authorities & has requested to ensure their safety & well-being.”
According to a report by local news daily, the workers were found in the Palestinian village of al-Zaayem after an operation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Justice Ministry. The Israeli Population and Immigration Authority revealed that Palestinians had taken away the workers’ passports and tried to use them to cross into Israel illegally.
The situation unfolded when the IDF detected fraudulent use of Indian passports at checkpoints. Investigations revealed that these documents belonged to the missing workers, leading to their rescue. The passports were later returned to their rightful owners.
Reports from a local news media suggest that Israeli forces intercepted suspects at a checkpoint who were attempting to use the stolen passports to bypass Israeli security. This breakthrough led to authorities tracking down and recovering the workers. After their rescue, they were taken to a safe location as officials examined their legal employment status in Israel.
Israel has been experiencing a surge in Indian workers in its construction sector, with around 16,000 arriving in the past year alone. This recruitment drive followed Israel’s decision to ban tens of thousands of Palestinian construction workers from entering the country after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack.