Arrest of Hundreds of Palestinian Workers from the West Bank on the Pretext of "Illegal Residency"

SadaNews - The occupation police arrested 513 Palestinian workers from the West Bank on the pretext of "illegal residency" during the past week in the country. They also arrested 53 suspects for "aiding in the recruitment, transfer, and employment of illegal residents in dozens of different incidents."

On Monday, the police closed a section of Route 6 "Trans-Israel" to traffic, arresting 8 workers from the West Bank.

The "suspects were later transferred for investigation," according to the announcement.

Hundreds Arrested in a Week

In another statement, the police noted that "in total, 513 illegal residents were arrested last week in various sectors, and 53 suspects were arrested on charges of aiding in the recruitment, transfer, and employment of illegal residents in dozens of different incidents."

They added that "in the Jerusalem area, including Jerusalem itself, 391 illegal residents were arrested, along with 34 suspects accused of aiding illegal residents. In the northern and coastal sectors, 18 illegal residents and 11 suspects accused of aiding were arrested. In the southern sector, 57 illegal residents and 4 suspects were arrested for aiding, and in the central sector, 47 illegal residents and 4 suspects were arrested for aiding."

Pursuit of Palestinian Workers

The occupation police continue to pursue Palestinian workers on the pretext of "their illegal residency in the country," alongside pursuing their employers and aid providers.

Palestinian workers holding permits face difficulties when heading to their workplaces, as they start their day very early before dawn and wait for long hours at Israeli military checkpoints, where they undergo humiliating and exhausting searches before proceeding to their jobs.

Whether or not they hold permits, Palestinians search for job opportunities inside Israel due to the scarcity of job opportunities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and because the wages they receive inside are much higher compared to the wages in the Palestinian Authority areas, under Israeli policies that have weakened the Palestinian economy.

Source: Arabs 48