DayofPal—Over half a million Palestinians have lost their jobs in Gaza and the West Bank since the start of the Israeli war in October 2023, a trade union revealed Saturday.
The Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions said in a statement that workers face systematic blockade, closure, and daily raids by the Israeli army, which hinder their work.
“Israeli occupation policies over more than two years of continuous aggression have led to more than 500,000 Palestinian workers losing their livelihood, with unemployment rates rising to unprecedented levels exceeding 50% in the West Bank and more than 84% in the Gaza Strip,” the statement said.
It added that the Israeli policies “constitute a compounded crime” against Palestinian workers and undermine their natural right to work and live in dignity, it added.
It clarified that Palestinian workers have incurred losses of over $9 billion due to being prevented from reaching their workplaces, in addition to the destruction of local productive sectors, primarily agriculture, construction, and services.
A total of 44 workers have been killed, hundreds injured, and over 34,000 others detained by the Israeli army since October 2023, according to the statement,
The federation said the Israeli government bears full responsibility for the huge financial losses, as well as for the deaths of dozens of Palestinian workers who were killed at military checkpoints or in settler attacks while seeking to earn a living for their families.
It described these acts as a clear violation of international labour standards and the Geneva Conventions.
The Israeli army has killed more than 70,700 Palestinians and injured over 170,000 others in Gaza since October 2023. Attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers have also killed at least 1,097 Palestinians and injured nearly 11,000 others in the occupied West Bank during the same period.
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