Israel Revoked Palestinians’ Work Permits — Then Launched a Deadly Crackdown on Laborers

Israel has revoked the work permits of nearly all Palestinian laborers, sparking a deadly crackdown on those trying to cross into Israeli territory. For years, Palestinians have been regarded as a pool of cheap labor, and their employment in Israel was seen as a way to boost living standards.

The decision to revoke the permits came after Hamas's attack on Israel in October 2023. The move has left thousands of Palestinian workers without a means of income, with many forced to flee Gaza due to the threat of Israeli police action. One worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said he had been detained by Israeli soldiers and subjected to torture and interrogation.

Since the revocation of permits, at least 44 Palestinian workers have died trying to cross into Israel, while many more have suffered serious injuries. The number of Palestinians being shot in the legs by border police has increased significantly, with over 100 victims reported since January this year.

The economic impact on Palestinians is severe. Before the permit revocation, around a quarter million Palestinians used to commute daily from the occupied territories to Israel for work. However, with fewer than 15,000 Palestinian laborers now able to cross into Israel due to the permit restrictions, many families have been left without an income.

The situation has worsened since October 2023, when Israel also withheld tax revenue from the Palestinian Authority, exacerbating the economic hardship faced by Palestinians. Many are forced to rely on informal work or enter Israel illegally, despite the increased risk of Israeli crackdowns.

Palestinian workers face significant risks, including beatings and torture at the hands of Israeli police. The situation is a stark reminder of the long-standing occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which has led to widespread economic hardship and human rights abuses for Palestinians.

As the international community watches, many are calling for greater action to be taken against Israel's policies towards Palestinian workers. "There are hardly any jobs in the West Bank," said Arafat Qaddous, one of the laborers whose permit was revoked. "Prices of food and goods are extremely high." His brother, Qusai, added that his family relied heavily on his work, but the loss of their livelihood has left them with little.

The decision to revoke permits has been described as a form of collective punishment by human rights groups. It is a stark reminder of the challenges faced by Palestinians in their struggle for economic and social justice.

I'm still trying to understand how this all works ... like, I get that Israel needs workers, but revoking permits doesn't make sense, right? It's like they're just gonna let people starve or something ... and the fact that these guys are getting tortured by police is just wrong . I mean, what's the point of having an economy if you can't even get a job without being treated badly?

And can someone explain to me how this all started with Hamas? Like, what does Hamas have to do with Palestinian workers trying to cross borders? It seems like a whole big mess to me... and the numbers are just crazy - 44 deaths is, like, whoa . I feel so bad for these people .

I'm also kinda curious about why the international community isn't doing more about this? Like, shouldn't they be all like "Hey, Israel, chill out" or something?

I'M SO SAD ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THOSE PALESTINIAN WORKERS!!! IT'S LIKE THEY'RE BEING FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIR LIVES AND THE ECONOMY! 44 PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY DIED TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING, AND THAT NUMBER IS JUST GOING TO KEEP RISING IF SOMETHING DOESN'T CHANGE SOON. WE NEED TO DO MORE THAN JUST TALK ABOUT THIS PROBLEM - WE NEED TO ACT NOW!!!

it's so sad this is getting out of hand, innocent ppl just trying to make ends meet are getting hurt or killed over it. 44 deaths is crazy, like what even is the point? i mean, i get that israel has its own problems but revoking work permits and then cracking down on those who try to cross is just cruel. thousands of people are losing their income, families are struggling... it's a human crisis. ppl need to step in and do something about this. international community, we're watching

This is such a heartbreaking situation unfolding before our eyes . I mean, can you imagine not being able to support your family just because of your nationality? The fact that Palestinians have been working in Israel for years, often under poor conditions, just to survive, is just appalling . And now, with these work permits revoked, it's like the whole economy is crumbling for them .

I think we need to take a step back and acknowledge the systemic issues at play here . The occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has been going on for decades, and it's led to some of the most severe economic hardship and human rights abuses in the world . We can't just sit idly by while thousands of people are losing their livelihoods and risking their lives to cross borders .

It's time for us to use our voices to demand change . We need to hold Israel accountable for its actions and push for greater action from the international community to support Palestinian workers and the broader Palestinian economy . This is a crisis that requires immediate attention and action, not just empty words or condemnations .

this is just another example of how the occupation is sucking the life outta the palestinians they're being treated like animals, forced to flee their homes because they can't even get a decent job without some fancy paperwork meanwhile israel gets to reap the benefits of all that cheap labor and what's the international community doing about it? not much, it seems we should be calling for boycotts, sanctions, and economic pressure to make them change their ways but no one wants to rock the boat so we're just stuck with this mess

This situation is literally heartbreaking ... I mean, can you even imagine being told your livelihood's gone due to some politics? These Palestinian workers were already living on thin ice, working hard just to make ends meet, and now it's like the rug's been pulled from under them . It's not just about numbers; those 44 deaths are actual people who lost their lives trying to provide for their families... no wonder the economic impact is severe .

The thing that really gets me is how everyone's talking about "greater action" but what does it even mean? Is it gonna take someone else getting killed or maimed before we do something?! As a human being, I just wish we could all put ourselves in their shoes and try to find a way to help... there gotta be more to life than politics .

this is so messed up... israel's decision to revoke work permits from palestinian laborers is like, literally, taking away people's lives. i mean, these ppl have families to feed and can't just sit around twiddling their thumbs because of some politics. it's not right that they're being forced to flee gaza or live in poverty. the economic impact on palestine is huge and its like, devastating for these communities. they need jobs, they need money, they need a way out of this cycle of poverty... but instead israel's just making things worse with their permit restrictions and tax revenue withholding. it's time for some real action from the international community...

This is bloody crazy! Israel's got its Palestinian workers dead set on its side, literally. Like, what's the incentive for them to try crossing over when they know they're gonna get met with violence? It's not just the physical danger, it's also the economic one - these guys used to be earning a decent living, and now they're basically out of luck. And you say there are hardly any jobs in the West Bank? How can that even be an excuse for revoking permits? The lack of empathy from Israel is staggering. This isn't just about Palestinian workers; it's about how we treat people who are already struggling to make ends meet. It's like they're expecting these guys to just sit back and wait for their livelihoods to magically appear... meanwhile, the international community is just standing around, watching this unfold. We need some serious pressure on Israel from our so-called "allies"

I'm totally with Israel on this one, they're just trying to protect themselves from all these Palestinian workers causing problems . I mean, think about it, if everyone could just work wherever they want without being controlled by someone else, the whole system would fall apart. The Palestinians need to learn to be more independent and not rely so much on Israeli jobs.

And yeah, Hamas's attack in October was totally unacceptable, Israel had every right to take action ‍. If everyone reacted that strongly when attacked, there wouldn't be as many problems. It's time for Palestinians to take responsibility for their own actions and stop blaming Israel for everything .

I'm also not buying the "collective punishment" label - it's just a fancy word for "you messed up, now deal with it". If they can't handle the consequences of their actions, that's not Israel's problem . The Palestinians need to toughen up and stop expecting everything to be handed to them on a silver platter .

"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it ." The situation with Israel's permit revocation and its devastating impact on Palestinian workers serves as a stark reminder of the long-standing occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, leading to widespread economic hardship and human rights abuses. The fact that Palestinians have been regarded as a pool of cheap labor for years is alarming and highlights the need for greater awareness and action from the international community to support those affected by these policies ."

this is just brutal. Israel revoking work permits of nearly all Palestinian laborers is like pulling the rug from under them. I mean, they're already living in poverty & struggling to survive, now you take away their chance at a decent income? 44 lives lost trying to cross into Israel? That's just heartbreaking. The international community needs to step in & do something about this. It's not like it's new, these policies have been going on for years, but it still hurts to see people being treated like this.

This is so unfair . I feel bad for all these Palestinian workers who are struggling to make ends meet. The fact that they were seen as cheap labor is just ridiculous. It's not like they were forced into it, many of them have families to support .

And the situation has only gotten worse since October 2023 . The permit revocation and the withholding of tax revenue from the Palestinian Authority are like a double whammy ️. I can imagine how tough it must be for these workers who are trying to cross into Israel every day, not knowing if they'll make it or get caught .

It's heartbreaking to see all these people struggling with serious injuries and fatalities . The economic impact is huge , with many families left without an income . And the beatings and torture at the hands of Israeli police? That's just unacceptable .

The international community needs to do something about this ASAP . We can't just sit back and watch as Palestinians are treated unfairly . It's time for some serious action to address these human rights abuses and bring about economic justice .

Ugh this is so sad I mean what's the point of having all these tech advancements if we can't even treat each other right? I know it's not just about the tech, but still... those Palestinian workers are being treated like dirt. It's like they're invisible and their lives don't matter unless they're crossing into Israel for work. And now they're dying trying to do that . It's just cruel. And what's with all these permits getting revoked? Does Israel think it can just control everything? Newsflash: you can't control people's livelihoods. We need to find a way to bring everyone in on this thing, not just the ones who are "convenient" for Israel

This situation is just heartbreaking . Israel's actions towards Palestinian laborers are completely unacceptable . I mean, can you imagine if they did this to any other country's workers? The number of casualties is already in the dozens and it's only going to get worse if something isn't done ASAP . It's not just about the economic hardship, it's about human lives being lost because of a policy . We need to see some real action from the international community on this one, like sanctions or something . And what really gets me is that these workers are treated like animals, subjected to torture and beatings for just trying to make a living . It's not fair at all .

this is so bloody heartbreaking! 44 lives lost, over 100 people shot in the legs... what's going on?! Israel's got the nerve to revoke work permits from these poor guys just because of some Hamas attack, and now they're facing economic hardship, torture, and detention... it's like they're being punished collectively for something that wasn't even their fault!

I mean, can we talk about how ridiculous this is? The international community should be doing more to hold Israel accountable for its actions. It's not like Palestinians are asking for much - they just want a chance at a decent job and some basic human rights. But no, instead of working together to find a solution, it seems like everyone's just standing by while these people suffer.

And let's be real, this is all about control. Israel's got a stranglehold on the Palestinian economy, and now they're using this permit revocation as a way to further tighten their grip. It's like they think Palestinians are nothing more than cogs in a machine - just disposable workers who can be used and discarded at will.

Newsflash: this is not okay! We need to do better, and we need to do it now. The world needs to wake up and realize that what's happening to Palestinians is not acceptable. We owe them our support, our compassion, and our action.

omg this is sooo messed up the fact that israel can just revoke work permits and kill ppl trying to cross into their territory is just insane and the economy situation for palestinians is so dire they're literally being forced to choose between paying bills or risking life and limb trying to get to israel, it's like the worst of both worlds i'm seriously considering donating to orgs that help these ppl out, anyone else wanna jump on board?

I'm literally shaking just reading about this . How can Israel do this to people who are just trying to make ends meet? These poor guys were already living on the edge with low wages, but now they're basically begging to be killed by Israeli border cops . It's not like they had anything else going for them - a steady income means you can afford basic necessities like food and housing.

And honestly, who is Israel even hurting here? They've got all these resources and tech companies that rely on cheap labor... what's the harm in just letting some of these Palestinian workers keep their jobs? The fact that they're doing this because of a Hamas attack from last year just shows how unstable things are over there, but that's not an excuse for treating people like animals .

This is so unfair on Palestinian workers they're literally being treated like animals trying to get a job in Israel its not right that people are being tortured and killed for crossing borders its got to stop these workers need protection not a barrier the economy of Gaza is already in shambles with the tax revenue being withheld from the Palestinian Authority this is just exacerbating the problem we need to see some action taken by the international community to hold Israel accountable for their actions

omg what's going on with israel and palestine its like they're trying to break the minds of palestinians who just wanna work & live a normal life but noooo israel's gotta make it hard for them

i mean i know they say they did this cuz of hamas's attack but that doesn't excuse revoking work permits from thousands of ppl its like they're punishing the whole population 4 one bad guy

anywayz, i feel so bad 4 all those palestinian workers who r struggling 2 survive w/o their jobs & w/ all the beatings & torture at the hands of israeli police its just not right

can't they jus find another way 2 solve problems instead of makin it worse for innocent ppl?