Israel Establishes First Private Prison for Palestinian Workers.. New Classification as Security Detainees

SadaNews: National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, has given the green light for the establishment of a unique private prison in Israel, dedicated to detaining Palestinian workers who reside in Israel without permits, also known as illegal immigrants, who will be classified for the first time as security detainees, not "criminals" as previously practiced.

According to a plan presented by Prisons Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi, work has already begun on preparing the headquarters for the new prison, which is scheduled to be operational soon, as reported by the "Yedioth Ahronoth" newspaper on Tuesday.

The newspaper mentioned that the declared aim of the project is to tighten the handling of Palestinian entry for work in Israel to provide for their families, or what Israeli circles have described as the "phenomenon of infiltration," which is receiving increasing attention from the Israeli police and security agencies.

According to the newspaper, the implementation of the plan to establish the special prison for Palestinians residing in the country without permits was expedited following the armed attack that occurred in Jerusalem a few weeks ago, carried out by two individuals who entered Israeli territory illegally, resulting in the deaths of six Israelis.

Official data reveals that since the beginning of the year, the Israeli police have inspected more than 665,000 vehicles, resulting in the detention of 542 Palestinians without permits, while 107 were shot during their attempts to infiltrate across the borders and areas of the separation wall.

The Israeli Prisons Service also indicated that about 2,500 individuals, the vast majority of whom are Palestinians from the West Bank, are currently being held in prisons under the classification of "criminals," with expectations that the number will significantly rise due to the new policy imposing stricter penalties from the first offense.

During a discussion in the Knesset, representatives of the Prisons Service and the National Security Ministry clarified that the plan includes adding 3,500 new prison places by October 2026, along with studying the establishment of another prison in the Sorek area in central Israel, while pressure continues to tighten monitoring and procedures on the Egyptian border.

Israeli police continue to pursue Palestinian workers under the pretext of "staying without permits," in addition to targeting their employers inside. These policies make earning a living a daily nightmare for tens of thousands of Palestinian workers.

Despite some of them having official work permits, their daily journey remains fraught with suffering and humiliation, noting that Israel has, after October 7, 2023, frozen work permits for about 150,000 Palestinian workers.

The weakness of the Palestinian economy in the West Bank and the lack of sufficient job opportunities, amid the Israeli war on Gaza, drives tens of thousands of workers to seek employment inside, where wages are significantly higher than in their areas. However, their lives turn into a daily chase, as the police continue their intensive campaigns in Arab towns in the Galilee, Triangle, Negev, and coastal cities, searching for workers coming from the West Bank or Gaza.

In light of these pursuits, many workers are forced to spend the night in harsh conditions, sleeping on the ground or in warehouses and shelters or under trees, just to continue working and supporting their families. Thus, a dual scene emerges: a lack of job opportunities and poverty in the West Bank and Gaza, and pursuit and suffering at checkpoints and inside.