10 Indian Workers Rescued from West Bank, Safely Returned to Israel: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday confirmed that 10 Indian construction workers who were found in the West Bank have been safely returned to Israel.

Addressing a weekly briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the workers were discovered by Israeli government authorities, who subsequently facilitated their return.

"10 Indian workers in the construction sector were found in the West Bank. Israeli government authorities brought them back to Israel. The matter is being investigated, and the embassy is in touch with Israeli authorities. They are in Israel and being looked after," Jaiswal said.

According to reports, the workers were allegedly lured by Palestinians to the al-Zaayem village in the West Bank with false job promises. Their passports were reportedly seized, and attempts were made to use them for unauthorized entry into Israel.

Israeli authorities detected the fraudulent use of the confiscated passports and later returned them to their rightful owners. As per reports, approximately 16,000 Indian labourers have arrived in Israel in 2024 under an official initiative to address a labour shortage following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, which led to a ban on Palestinian construction workers entering Israel.