Israel May Hire 1 Lakh Indian Workers To Replace Palestinians: Report

New Delhi: Israel is reportedly looking to hire one lakh workers from India in a bid to replace Palestinians who were fired from jobs after the Hamas attack on October 7.

According to a Voice of America (VOA) news report, Israel’s construction sector confirmed it had asked its government to allow companies to hire up to one lakh workers from India to replace about 90,000 Palestinians.

Israel has reportedly cancelled work permits for Palestinians who used to work in Israel before the surprise attack by Hamas, according to the report.

An Israeli Builders Association member told VOA News that they were in negotiations with India in this regard and currently waiting for a decision from the Israeli authorities for further approval. “We hope to engage some 50,000 to 100,000 workers from India to work across the sector and bring it to normalcy,” VOA News quoted the member as saying.

As per reports, the removal of the Palestinian workforce has adversely affected Israel’s construction industry. Earlier this year, there were reports that Israel and India were considering an agreement to send 10,000 Indian workers to Tel Aviv. According to the agreement, about 2,500 workers were enrolled in the construction industry in Israel while another 2,500 were for nursing in the health sector, the report added.