10 Indian Workers, Held Hostage In Palestine's West Bank, Rescued By Israel

Ten Indian construction workers were rescued from Palestine's West Bank village, a month after they were stripped of their passports, local media reported.

News agency PTI quoted reports which claimed that the workers were lured to the West Bank village of al-Zaayem for work. They had originally come to Israel to work in the construction industry.

News portal Ynetnews reported that Israeli forces intercepted some suspects at a checkpoint which led to the recovery of the Indian workers. The Palestinians allegedly used the Indian passports to easily cross checkpoints into Israel.

In an overnight operation led by the Population and Immigration authority together with the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and the Justice Ministry, the workers were rescued and transferred to a safe location where they will stay till their employment status is determined.

The Indian Embassy in Israel said that the matter is under investigation. It added that it has urged Israeli authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of the workers.

Some 16,000 workers from India are said to have come to Israel to work in the construction industry in the last one year after tens of thousands of Palestinian construction workers were barred from entering Israel after Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack.