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Palestinian workers in Israel

Palestinian workers in Israel are daily commuters from the and who obtain permits from Israeli authorities to fill low-skilled positions, primarily in , , and , thereby supplying labor essential to Israel's while generating substantial remittances that have historically supported Palestinian household incomes and . Following Israel's control of the territories after the 1967 , Palestinian labor flows to Israel expanded rapidly, integrating the economies and peaking at approximately 177,000 permit-holders by the third quarter of 2023, before plummeting 86 percent to 24,000 in the immediate aftermath of the attack due to border closures imposed for security. The permit regime, administered by Israel's military and coordinated with Palestinian authorities, enforces background checks and quotas to mitigate security risks, as evidenced by periodic revocations during escalations of violence, such as the intifadas and conflicts, which have repeatedly disrupted employment and remittances—dropping from $4.3 billion in 2022 to $532 million in 2024. By the second quarter of 2025, numbers had partially rebounded to 40,000, concentrated in , underscoring the sector's dependence on this workforce amid Israel's domestic labor shortages. Wages for these workers typically exceed local Palestinian rates by a factor of 2.3 or more, rendering the jobs a critical economic lifeline despite complaints of inferior conditions and the absence of full social benefits, which has fueled debates over balanced against the alternative of higher in territories where joblessness reached 29 percent in the by mid-2025. This dependence has perpetuated economic asymmetry, with closures amplifying poverty and fiscal strain on the Palestinian Authority, while Israel's reliance highlights vulnerabilities in its labor .

Legal and Regulatory Framework

Work Permits and Quota Systems

The government sets annual quotas for Palestinian workers from the and permitted to enter for employment, allocating numbers across sectors including (typically the largest share, at around 57% of permits), , industry, and services, based on labor demands from employers and evaluations. The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), under the Ministry of Defense, coordinates quota implementation with input from employer organizations like the Builders Association. Quotas have fluctuated with economic needs and security conditions; for workers, they expanded to a record 143,680 in June 2023, enabling daily cross-border entry via checkpoints. Gaza quotas remained more restricted, reaching about 20,050 by late 2022, often requiring initial "economic needs" permits for entry before conversion to formal work permits tied to specific employers. In practice, actual employment exceeded formal quotas in some periods due to informal arrangements, with 192,700 reported working in and settlements in 2022. Permits are allocated through applications by Israeli employers to the Civil Administration (part of COGAT), which verifies worker eligibility including by Israel's General Security Service to exclude individuals with terror affiliations, criminal records, or family ties to militants. Criteria prioritize working-age males (generally 25-55 years old), often favoring married men with children for perceived lower flight risk, though age and marital restrictions were relaxed in June 2022 to boost numbers; medical fitness and employer sponsorship are also required. Gaza applicants face additional hurdles, including rare approvals amid blockade policies. Distribution frequently involves Palestinian labor contractors or brokers, who receive bulk allocations and sub-allocate to workers, resulting in widespread fees—averaging 2,429 shekels (about $650) per month per worker in 2022—despite reforms since 2021 directing permits to employers to curb . Permits are typically valid for daily commutes (requiring return by evening) or limited overnight stays under B/2 magnetic cards, with revocations possible for violations or incidents, such as the 1,100 permits canceled in May 2022 over alleged terror links. After Hamas's , 2023, attacks, suspended all approximately 170,000 active permits, citing security threats, with revocations extended to those in settlements; by July 2025, issuances had resumed partially for pre-screened workers but at only 11% of prior levels, prioritizing critical sectors while substituting with foreign labor.

Entry, Monitoring, and Enforcement Mechanisms

Palestinian workers from the and require Israeli-issued work permits to enter for , with quotas determined annually by the Israeli and security authorities based on labor market demands and security assessments. Permits are allocated through a process involving security clearances conducted by Israeli intelligence, often prioritizing older, married workers deemed lower risk, and are distributed via Palestinian Coordination and Liaison offices under COGAT oversight. Entry occurs exclusively through designated checkpoints, such as Taybeh (handling up to 15,000 workers daily), Eyal, and Ephraim for West Bank laborers, or for those from , where permits are verified alongside biometric identification. Monitoring relies on a magnetic card system, mandatory since for permit applicants, which incorporates biometric data including fingerprints and hand geometry scans for identity verification and security screening. These cards, issued for 1-2 years at a cost of approximately 120 , are scanned at checkpoint terminals to log entry and exit times, enforcing same-day return policies and enabling real-time tracking of worker movements within . Overstays or failures to exit by designated hours, detected via the Basel biometric system, result in permit revocation or blacklisting. Additional surveillance includes facial recognition technologies at crossings, supplementing manual inspections to prevent unauthorized entries. Enforcement against unauthorized Palestinian workers is handled by the Israel Population and Immigration Authority, , and police, who conduct raids, checkpoint interceptions, and employer audits to identify illegals. Detected individuals face immediate , followed by to the or , with repeat offenders subject to extended bans. Employers hiring undocumented workers incur civil fines starting at 5,000 per violation, escalating to criminal penalties including up to one year imprisonment and business closures under the 2016 amendment to the Entry into Israel , which targets systematic hiring with fines up to 452,000 for ongoing subcontracting. These measures aim to deter illegal labor while maintaining permit-based flows, though implementation varies with security conditions.

Historical Overview

Origins and Pre-1967 Context

Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, approximately 150,000 Palestinian Arabs remained within the territory that became the State of , comprising about 15-20% of the new state's population. These individuals, who later became known as , were placed under a imposed in late 1948 and maintained until 1966, ostensibly for security reasons amid ongoing hostilities with neighboring Arab states. Under this regime, enforced via the Defence (Emergency) Regulations inherited from the British Mandate, they required military-issued permits to leave their villages for work, travel, or commerce, severely restricting economic mobility and confining many to subsistence agriculture initially. This population filled critical gaps in Israel's nascent economy, which faced labor shortages during mass Jewish immigration from and Arab countries. By the , Palestinian Arab workers constituted roughly a quarter of the workforce in and —key sectors for infrastructure development and food production—often as unskilled daily wage laborers replacing or supplementing Jewish workers. Their employment was regulated through labor exchanges like the Israeli Labor League, affiliated with the (Israel's labor federation), which initially excluded Arabs from full membership to prioritize "" but issued work permits during shortages while withdrawing them amid job competition from new Jewish immigrants. Wages were low, reflecting their status as a captive, low-skilled reserve amid Israel's transition to industrialization, with many shifting from traditional () roles to proletarianized manual labor. Restrictions began easing in the late , driven by Israel's economic expansion—GDP growth averaged 10% annually—and the need for inexpensive labor as Jewish unemployment declined. By 1959, membership opened to Arabs, though with limited voting rights until 1965, coinciding with greater to access jobs beyond local areas; the proportion of Arab workers employed outside Arab regions rose from 45% to 52% in this period. ended on December 31, 1966, transferring oversight to civilian police, just before the 1967 , which would dramatically expand the pool of available Palestinian labor from the newly occupied and . Pre-1967, cross-border Palestinian labor from these territories remained negligible due to closed frontiers under Jordanian and Egyptian control, with any entries typically unauthorized and minimal in scale.

Post-1967 Integration and Expansion

Following Israel's victory in the of June 1967, which resulted in the occupation of the and , the Israeli authorities initiated the integration of Palestinian labor from these territories into the Israeli economy to meet domestic labor shortages, particularly in and agriculture. Initially, employment was informal and limited, but by summer 1968, an official permit system was established, allowing regulated entry through checkpoints. This marked the beginning of structured labor flows, with workers required to obtain daily or short-term passes, though enforcement was initially lax, enabling relatively free movement until the late 1980s. The number of Palestinian workers expanded rapidly in response to Israel's post-war economic boom, including infrastructure development and . From fewer than 5,000 in 1968, grew to over 20,000 by 1970, reflecting absorption of unemployed and underemployed individuals from rural and areas in the occupied territories. By the mid-1980s, the figure exceeded 97,000, constituting about one-third of the Palestinian labor force and contributing more than 25% to the gross national product of the and through remittances. This growth averaged 6.3% annually from 1970 to 1993, outpacing domestic expansion at 1.8%.
YearNumber of Palestinian Workers in Israel (Thousands)Share of Palestinian Labor Force (%)
19685-
197022.611
197572.2-
198082.1-
198597.6-
1989125.040
Palestinian workers were predominantly unskilled males from the occupied territories, filling low-wage roles that citizens increasingly avoided. Over half were employed in (53-54% in selected years), with agriculture accounting for 13-24% and industry/services the remainder. In 1970, extended its labor laws to these workers, mandating minimum wages and protections, though enforcement varied and wage gaps persisted, with wages typically 20% higher after adjustments. This integration fostered economic interdependence: benefited from a flexible, low-cost labor pool comprising up to 6.5% of its workforce at peaks, while experienced reduced (below 3% in the 1970s-1980s) and gains from remittances, albeit creating structural on markets. workers rose proportionally after the 1970s, partly displacing labor as the latter sought Gulf opportunities. By the early 1990s, numbers peaked near 116,000-140,000 before disruptions from the and security measures began curbing access.

Oslo Era and Intifada Disruptions

Following the Oslo Accords of 1993 and the subsequent Oslo II agreement in 1995, which established the Palestinian Authority (PA) and divided the West Bank and Gaza into Areas A, B, and C, Palestinian workers' access to Israel became subject to a formalized permit regime administered by Israeli authorities. Permits were typically granted to married men over age 28, tied to specific Israeli employers, and valid for periods of up to two months, reflecting heightened security protocols amid ongoing tensions. This system replaced much of the pre-Oslo freer movement, though employment in Israeli settlements—located in Area C under Israeli control—faced fewer restrictions, as workers there did not require crossing the Green Line and employers avoided costs like social security contributions. Throughout the era in the mid-to-late 1990s, the number of Palestinian workers in Israel recovered from earlier declines associated with the tail end of the , reaching levels of approximately 136,000 to 140,000 by 1998–2000, representing 18–25% of the labor force and a smaller share from (down from pre-1993 highs of 35–45%). These workers primarily filled low-skilled roles in , , and services, contributing significantly to economic sectors while providing remittances that supported Palestinian households. Fluctuations occurred due to periodic closures during negotiation breakdowns or security incidents, but overall access remained relatively stable until the outbreak of the Second Intifada, with peaks exceeding 100,000 even into late 2000. The Second Intifada, erupting in September 2000 amid escalating violence including suicide bombings and shootings—many perpetrated by individuals who had entered from PA-controlled areas—prompted to impose stringent closures, checkpoints, and barriers to curb terrorist infiltration. This led to a sharp contraction in worker entries, with numbers plummeting from around 136,000 in mid-2000 to approximately 55,000 by March 2001 and further to 40,000 during peak restrictions, a decline of over two-thirds from pre-Intifada levels. The measures, justified by assessments linking unrestricted to risks, resulted in the loss of 75,000–80,000 jobs for in and settlements, exacerbating in the PA territories to over 28% by mid-2001 and reducing Palestinian GNP per capita by 27% that year. workers, numbering about 26,000 before the violence, faced near-total exclusion, with employment resuming only gradually post-2005.

Post-2005 Gaza Disengagement Effects

Following Israel's unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip in August 2005, which entailed the evacuation of approximately 9,000 settlers from 21 settlements and the withdrawal of military forces from internal Gaza territory, access for Palestinian workers from Gaza to Israel persisted on a limited basis through the Erez crossing. In the first seven months of 2005, prior to the disengagement, an average of 1,787 workers crossed daily from Gaza into Israel; post-disengagement, crossings continued but at reduced volumes, with daily numbers of workers and merchants remaining constrained due to ongoing security protocols. The situation deteriorated sharply after Hamas's victory in the January 2006 Palestinian legislative elections and its forcible seizure of control in in June 2007, amid escalating rocket attacks from into . responded by intensifying border restrictions, effectively imposing a that prohibited nearly all worker entries from , justified by heightened terrorism risks linked to Hamas governance. This severed Gaza's longstanding labor ties to , where pre-Intifada peaks had seen tens of thousands of Gazan workers employed, reducing post-2007 crossings to negligible levels—often fewer than a few hundred traders annually, with formal worker permits virtually eliminated. Economically, the cutoff amplified Gaza's isolation from Israeli job markets, which had previously provided critical remittances supporting household incomes and local commerce. Prior to the Second Intifada, Gaza workers' earnings from Israel constituted a substantial portion of the territory's inflows, but post-2007 restrictions contributed to rates exceeding 40% by 2008, fostering dependency on aid and internal economic contraction. Israeli assessments emphasized that these measures addressed security imperatives rather than disengagement itself, as Hamas's control precluded the cooperative frameworks that sustained labor access. Occasional pilot programs for limited Gaza trader permits emerged in subsequent years, but worker mobility remained minimal, underscoring the disengagement's failure to enable economic separation without heightened restrictions.

2008-2023 Normalization and Fluctuations

Following the Second Intifada and the 2005 disengagement, the entry of Palestinian workers into stabilized at relatively low levels in the late , with approximately 44,000 Palestinians employed in in 2008, including about 25,000 holding formal permits, amid ongoing restrictions that effectively barred workers. By September 2009, the number of approved permits for workers reached 54,318, reflecting cautious expansion driven by Israeli labor needs in construction and agriculture, though access remained near zero following the 2007 takeover and the 2008-2009 Operation Cast Lead, which imposed a near-total ban on labor to mitigate risks. This period marked initial normalization through vetted permit systems managed by Israeli authorities, prioritizing low-risk workers while illegal crossings persisted at lower volumes due to the security barrier's completion. Into the early 2010s, permit quotas gradually expanded, reaching around 78,000 by the end of 2010, primarily from the , as improved border controls and intelligence reduced unpermitted entries, allowing to fill labor gaps without excessive risk. Gaza workers remained excluded until pilot programs in 2012 introduced limited trader permits, evolving into small-scale labor access by mid-decade; however, numbers stayed minimal, under 5,000 annually, due to persistent governance concerns. Fluctuations occurred during escalations, such as temporary permit suspensions in the amid the 2015-2016 wave of stabbing and vehicular attacks, though overall trends upward as Israeli —particularly in —outpaced domestic labor supply. By 2012, total permitted workers stood at about 77,000, setting the stage for sustained increases. The 2014 Gaza conflict (Operation Protective Edge) briefly halted West Bank permits, causing economic strain on both sides, but quotas rebounded, with steady growth through the late fueled by Israeli policy shifts to allocate more slots—reaching over 100,000 by —to address shortages amid low unemployment and demographic constraints. Gaza access expanded modestly post- via economic de-escalation deals, issuing several thousand permits annually by 2020, though still dwarfed by West Bank figures. The induced sharp fluctuations: permits dropped to under 50,000 in early 2020 due to Israeli lockdowns and health protocols, severely impacting Palestinian remittances (equivalent to 13-15% of West Bank GDP), before surging to pre-pandemic levels by 2021 as Israel prioritized essential sectors. By 2022, total Palestinian workers with permits exceeded 153,000, predominantly from the (around 135,000-140,000 entering and settlements), generating approximately $3-4 billion in wages that bolstered Palestinian household incomes and productivity in low-skill sectors. Gaza permits peaked at 17,000-27,000 that year, the highest since , reflecting normalized but conditional access tied to quiet periods and labor demands. This upward trajectory to roughly 178,000 permitted workers by late 2023 underscored a pragmatic , where vetting enabled despite periodic dips from incidents like the 2021 Israel-Hamas clashes, which temporarily curtailed entries. assessments viewed the permit regime as a stabilizing mechanism, reducing incentives for unrest by channeling labor legally, though critics from Palestinian sources argued it perpetuated dependency without broader autonomy.

Post-October 7, 2023 Restrictions

Following the Hamas-led terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, which killed over 1,200 Israelis and involved infiltration methods potentially exploited by Palestinian laborers, Israel immediately suspended all entries of Palestinian workers from the West Bank and Gaza Strip into its territory. This affected approximately 200,000 workers who held permits prior to the attack, including around 18,000 Gazans who were inside Israel at the time and were subsequently detained, interrogated for security risks, and deported. The Israeli government revoked work permits en masse, with over 120,000 losing access to jobs in proper, citing heightened threats and intelligence assessments linking some prior worker movements to attack planning. Gaza-based workers faced a total ban, with no permits reissued as of October 2025, while permits were not broadly restored; by July 2025, approved entries had fallen to just 11% of pre-October 7 levels, limited to vetted individuals under stricter security protocols including biometric checks and exclusion of residents from high-risk areas like and . Enforcement mechanisms intensified, with Israeli authorities closing worker crossings at checkpoints like Eyal and , deploying advanced , and coordinating with the Palestinian Authority for pre-screening, though compliance was inconsistent due to ongoing West Bank violence involving Palestinian militants. Despite the formal prohibitions, an estimated tens of thousands of entered illegally via breaches in the security barrier or with falsified documents by March 2024, prompting raids and deportations to mitigate infiltration risks. As of October 2025, the restrictions remained in effect amid persistent security concerns from escalated attacks, with prioritizing foreign labor imports—such as from , , and —to fill shortages in and , reducing reliance on Palestinian workers to under 20,000 permitted entries annually. This policy shift reflected a strategic reassessment, as pre-war data showed Palestinian laborers comprised up to 30% of 's construction workforce, but post-attack analyses highlighted vulnerabilities including workers' familiarity with sites exploited in the assault.

Economic Dimensions

Primary Sectors of Employment

Palestinian workers in Israel are predominantly employed in manual labor roles within the , which has consistently absorbed the largest share of permitted laborers from the due to chronic Israeli shortages in unskilled building trades. Prior to , 2023, construction accounted for the majority of the approximately 177,000 Palestinian workers commuting daily, filling positions such as , ironworking, and site preparation that Israeli firms rely on for and projects. These workers often operate under daily permit systems, contributing to sectors where they comprise 30-70% of the on-site workforce, depending on regional estimates from labor advocacy and economic analyses. The agriculture sector ranks as the second primary employer, particularly for seasonal and low-skill tasks like , planting, and packing in Israel's export-oriented farming regions. Around 20-25% of Palestinian workers have historically been directed to , supporting operations in areas such as the and coastal plains where labor-intensive crops demand flexible, cost-effective manpower unavailable locally at comparable wages. This sector's reliance on Palestinians stems from the physical demands and cyclical nature of fieldwork, with quotas often allocated to address peak harvest periods. Smaller but notable employment occurs in hospitality and services, including , , and basic food preparation in hotels and institutions, as well as limited roles in for assembly and basic production. These areas employ roughly 10-15% of workers, serving urban and industrial needs where proximity to borders facilitates daily commutes. Overall, sectoral distribution reflects policy prioritizing permits for sectors facing acute labor gaps, with and dominating due to their scale and the workers' concentration in low-wage, high-physical-demand jobs lacking advanced training requirements.

Wage Differentials and Remittance Flows

Palestinian workers in Israel typically earn substantially higher daily wages than those employed within the or , reflecting access to Israel's more advanced economy and labor market demands, particularly in low-skilled sectors like and . According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the average daily for Palestinian workers in Israel and Israeli settlements was 276 new shekels () in 2022, compared to 121 for workers in the West Bank and 59 in Gaza Strip during the same period. Similarly, (ILO) estimates place the average daily for permit-holding Palestinian workers in Israel at 297 (approximately $79 USD) as of recent assessments, underscoring a wage premium driven by Israel's higher labor productivity and output per worker, though these figures remain below nationals' earnings in comparable roles, which often exceed 400-500 daily for due to skill levels, protections, and risk premia absent for non-citizen laborers. This differential persists despite Palestinian workers comprising a significant portion of Israel's manual labor force, filling roles shunned by citizens amid demographic shifts and higher domestic wage expectations; empirical data indicate that the gap narrows with experience but is sustained by factors such as permit restrictions, security vetting costs borne indirectly by employers, and lower for non-residents. Pre-October 2023, around 150,000-200,000 Palestinians held work permits, with wages enabling remittances that bolster household incomes in origin areas, where local hovered at 13-45% and alternative yields far lower returns. Post-conflict restrictions reduced this access, compressing wages for remaining or informal workers and exacerbating disparities, as evidenced by ILO reports on withheld payments affecting over 200,000 laborers. Remittance flows from these workers constitute a critical lifeline for the Palestinian economy, injecting billions annually and offsetting fiscal deficits in the Palestinian Authority (PA). The Palestinian Monetary Authority (PMA) estimates that labor remittances from Israel totaled approximately $5.5 billion in 2022, equivalent to about 35% of West Bank and Gaza GDP at the time, primarily supporting consumption, construction, and family transfers in labor-exporting regions like the West Bank. By 2023, IMF and PMA data recorded a decline to $5.12 billion or 29% of GDP, attributed to tightened Israeli border controls and conflict disruptions, highlighting the flows' sensitivity to security policies rather than endogenous Palestinian growth. These inflows, channeled mostly informally via cash or hawala systems to evade transaction costs, sustain an estimated 10-15% of PA households directly, fostering dependency on Israeli labor access while enabling modest local investments, though they mask underlying structural unemployment and limited domestic job creation.
YearEstimated Remittances from Israel ($ billion)Share of Palestinian GDP (%)Source
20225.535PMA
20235.1229IMF/PMA
Such dependencies amplify vulnerabilities, as remittance volatility—evident in post-2007 restrictions and 2023-2024 closures—correlates with spikes in Palestinian poverty rates, per analyses, underscoring the causal role of cross-border labor mobility in absent viable alternatives.

Contributions to Israeli Productivity

Palestinian workers have played a pivotal role in bolstering Israeli productivity, particularly in labor-intensive sectors like and , where they have filled chronic shortages of manual laborers that Israeli citizens often eschew due to higher wage expectations and better domestic opportunities. Prior to , 2023, around 175,000 Palestinians from the and held permits or worked without them in , comprising a key component of the low-skilled that supported expansion and agricultural output. In , they constituted an estimated 65-70% of the on-site labor force, enabling the sector—which accounts for approximately 6% of 's $500 billion GDP—to sustain high volumes of residential and commercial projects at competitive costs. This labor input directly enhanced by reducing operational costs and accelerating project timelines; Palestinian workers, earning lower wages than or foreign alternatives, allowed contractors to allocate resources more efficiently toward capital investments and skilled oversight. Empirical has shown that such cross-border labor flows positively labor metrics, as the influx of complementary low-wage workers enables native employees to shift toward supervisory, , or higher-value roles, thereby increasing overall sectoral output and total . The flexibility of Palestinian labor, often available for short-term or seasonal needs, further minimized bottlenecks in supply chains, supporting Israel's rapid post-2000s in and . The acute labor shortages following the revocation of work permits after , 2023—resulting in zero Palestinian participation in by early 2024—provide stark of their contributions, as the sector faced a of nearly 40,000 workers, leading to a 10% drop in residential activity and the shutdown of 40% of projects. Efforts to replace them with foreign workers from have proven slower and more expensive, with higher costs and adaptation periods exacerbating delays and inflating expenses by up to 20-30% per project. In , Palestinian workers similarly supported by handling harvesting and planting in groves and fields, where their absence has strained seasonal yields and increased reliance on ill-suited to Israel's varied terrains. These disruptions highlight how Palestinian labor has historically acted as a cost-effective buffer, sustaining output in foundational sectors that underpin broader economic expansion.

Dependencies and Vulnerabilities in Palestinian Economy

The Palestinian economy exhibits substantial dependency on labor remittances from workers employed in , which have historically accounted for a major share of income inflows. In recent assessments, these remittances totaled approximately $5.12 billion, representing 29% of Palestinian GDP as of , down from 35% in due to security-related disruptions. Over 90% of Palestinian remittances originate from employment in , underscoring the enclave's reliance on cross-border labor markets amid limited domestic opportunities. This dependency stems from structural constraints, including Israeli-imposed movement restrictions that inhibit Palestinian export diversification and industrial growth, channeling economic activity toward low-skill labor exportation. Vulnerabilities arise acutely from the revocable nature of Israeli work permits, which are often suspended during periods of heightened security threats, precipitating sharp economic contractions. Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, Israel revoked permits for around 100,000 Palestinian workers—primarily from the West Bank—eliminating a cash inflow equivalent to roughly a quarter of gross national income and driving West Bank unemployment from 12.9% in September 2023 to over 30% by early 2024. Palestinian workers earn roughly $81 daily in Israel compared to $31 in local markets, amplifying the fiscal shock of such closures, which contributed to a 28% GDP decline to $10.6 billion in 2024 and widespread poverty exceeding 30%. These episodic restrictions, tied to documented risks of workforce infiltration by militants, expose the Palestinian territories to boom-bust cycles, with the International Labour Organization estimating that mobility barriers have reduced GDP per capita by 33.4% since October 2023 alone. Broader economic fragilities compound this labor dependency, as Palestinian productive sectors remain underdeveloped due to persistent access barriers and clearance revenue dependencies on , limiting self-sufficiency. Without occupation-related constraints, the economy could have been 68% larger cumulatively from 2000 to 2024, per UNCTAD analysis, highlighting how reliance on employment perpetuates a cycle of vulnerability rather than fostering endogenous growth. This structure incentivizes informal coping mechanisms, such as illegal border crossings, but sustains overall economic precarity, with remittances fluctuating alongside geopolitical tensions rather than stable domestic investment.

Security Implications

Documented Terrorism Links and Incidents

In December 2021, Israel's security service arrested Mammoud Ahmad, a 33-year-old Palestinian from who held a valid allowing entry into for . Recruited by in 2019, Ahmad conducted espionage by photographing anti-missile battery sites near Gan Yavne and , as well as IDF soldiers at an bus station, with the intent to aid operations. He was indicted on terrorism-related charges, illustrating how work permits could be exploited for intelligence gathering by designated terrorist groups. Following the October 7, 2023, -led attack, Israeli authorities interrogated over 30,000 Palestinian workers, primarily from , who were in at the time. While assessments rejected claims of systematic, en masse spying by these laborers to facilitate —attributing much of 's detailed to other sources like drones and prior infiltrations—interviews uncovered individual instances where workers had relayed site-specific information, such as layouts of communities or security vulnerabilities, to militants affiliated with or . These findings prompted the revocation of thousands of permits and heightened scrutiny, though no coordinated worker network was deemed responsible for the attack's planning. A analysis by the Institute for Studies examined 62 terrorist attacks within Israel's pre-1967 borders from October 2023 onward, identifying cases where perpetrators or planners possessed valid work permits, often using their access to construction sites or communities for or staging. Such incidents were concentrated in areas with high concentrations of Palestinian laborers, like and the , underscoring permit-holders' potential as vectors for low-level operational support amid broader terror waves. In response to escalating attacks during 2022-2023, implemented measures revoking work permits from immediate relatives of convicted or active terrorists, affecting hundreds; for instance, after a March 2022 spree, permits for family members of attackers were canceled to disrupt support networks, based on intelligence linking familial ties to or . These actions followed documented patterns where permit access enabled proximity to targets, though direct perpetrator involvement by permit-holders remained statistically limited compared to illegal entrants.

Israeli Countermeasures and Risk Assessments

In response to security threats, Israel employs a multi-layered vetting system managed by the for Palestinian workers seeking entry permits. Prior to , 2023, Shin Bet screened applicants through intelligence databases, interrogations, and , denying permits to approximately 10,000-15,000 annually deemed high-risk due to direct terrorism involvement, incitement, or militant affiliations. Despite this, risk assessments identified persistent vulnerabilities, including familial ties to or members among approved workers—estimated at up to 1.7% of permit holders in some sectors like —and instances of workers weapons or facilitating for attacks. Shin Bet's internal evaluations highlighted that economic pressures often overrode stricter security thresholds, with over 180,000 holding valid permits by late 2023, contributing to infiltration risks during daily commutes. Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault, which involved some Palestinian workers from in preparatory activities or post-attack celebrations, enacted immediate countermeasures: revoking all 25,000 worker permits and over 150,000 permits, detaining or expelling thousands upon intelligence linking them to the attack. Shin Bet's post-event risk assessments, based on interrogations of 3,400 detained workers, revealed that 1,500 had direct or indirect terror connections, including prior knowledge of shared via smuggled phones, prompting a blanket ban sustained into 2024. To address ongoing threats, enhanced countermeasures with mandatory biometric fingerprinting at crossings, AI-assisted behavioral monitoring at worksites, and "closed permits" confining low-risk workers to specific employers and on-site housing to prevent return trips that enabled or coordination with militants. Risk assessments by and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) quantify threats through metrics like denial rates (rising to 20-25% post-2023) and incident correlations, estimating that unrestricted labor flows could enable 5-10% of attacks via insider access, as evidenced by the 2014 kidnapping of three teens by West Bank workers with permits. These evaluations prioritize causal factors such as incitement in —where surveys showed 70-80% support for the October 7 attack among workers—over economic remittances, leading to phased reissuance of 10,000-20,000 permits by mid-2024 only for vetted individuals over age 35 with clean records. Critics within security circles, including former officials, argue that pre-2023 approvals reflected a calculated tolerance for GDP contributions (1-2% annually from Palestinian labor), but post-attack analyses underscore the asymmetry: even low-probability events yield high-impact breaches due to workers' proximity to sensitive . As of 2025, ongoing countermeasures include real-time tracking apps and joint employer-security protocols, with assessments projecting reduced risks through diversification to foreign labor, though full replacement remains incomplete due to skill gaps.

Infiltration and Illegal Labor Challenges

Following the revocation of work permits for most Palestinian laborers after the , 2023, attacks, experienced a significant increase in illegal entries from the , with security services estimating approximately 40,000 crossing the security barrier monthly to seek employment. These infiltrations, often facilitated by smuggling routes or breaches in the barrier, bypass Israeli vetting processes designed to screen for security risks, allowing unmonitored individuals access to sensitive sites such as areas and projects. The porous nature of the barrier, combined with economic desperation in the and demand for low-wage labor in , has exacerbated enforcement difficulties, as Israeli authorities detain thousands annually but struggle to stem the flow entirely. Illegal laborers pose heightened security challenges due to their lack of documentation, enabling potential terrorists to conduct reconnaissance, gather intelligence, or execute attacks under the guise of employment. For instance, in August 2025, Israeli police arrested two Palestinian residents illegally present in on suspicion of planning an imminent terrorist attack, highlighting how such entrants can operate undetected in urban centers. Similarly, in September 2025, authorities in apprehended a terror suspect who had illegally entered , possessing items indicative of planned violence. While permitted workers undergo background checks that correlate with lower incidence of terrorism—studies indicate minimal direct involvement in attacks like those on —the unregulated influx of illegal workers amplifies vulnerabilities, as they evade biometric scanning and intelligence databases. Israeli countermeasures, including intensified patrols, advanced along the barrier, and rapid of detainees, have intercepted numerous infiltrators, but the scale of entries continues to strain resources and expose gaps in . Officials have noted that illegal labor sustains a shadow economy, with some employers overlooking documentation to access cheaper wages, inadvertently facilitating risks by housing and employing unvetted individuals in proximity to and sites. This dynamic persists despite post-October 7 enhancements to the apparatus, underscoring the tension between labor demands and the imperative to mitigate infiltration threats that could enable future terrorist operations.

Controversies and Perspectives

Labor Conditions and Exploitation Claims

Permitted Palestinian workers in Israel are covered by labor , including requirements, pay, and workplace standards enforced by the and Authority and the Labor Ministry's Regulation and Enforcement Administration. Daily wages for these workers averaged 243.4 New Shekels () in the second quarter of 2025, significantly higher than the 100-150 typical for comparable roles in the , though below the of around 300 for some sectors. This wage premium drives demand, with surveys indicating that 14% of Palestinians with still prefer for better pay and benefits despite risks. Claims of often center on inadequate enforcement, especially in labor-intensive sectors like where comprise over 80% of the workforce pre-2023 restrictions. Organizations such as the (ITUC) report widespread issues including insufficient protective equipment, minimal safety training, and exposure to hazardous conditions, leading to elevated injury rates; for instance, a 2010-2020 analysis cited over 300 Palestinian worker fatalities in , many attributed to falls or machinery accidents without proper oversight. Undocumented or "illegal" workers, estimated at tens of thousands annually before October 2023, face heightened vulnerability, lacking access to and often enduring withholding, excessive hours exceeding 12 daily without , and from employers or smugglers. Human Rights Watch and Al-Haq have documented specific abuses, such as child labor in West Bank settlements—where minors as young as 11 harvest crops for 1-2 NIS per hour—and systematic underpayment, with employers exploiting permit dependencies to deduct "fees" or delay payments. These claims are echoed in Palestinian Authority data showing remittances from Israel funding 20-30% of West Bank GDP, yet worker testimonies describe routine humiliations like checkpoint delays eroding effective wages. However, Israeli labor NGOs like Kav LaOved, which advocate for Palestinian rights, note that violations stem more from employer non-compliance than policy, with progressive laws applying universally but under-resourced inspections; they report successful claims recovering millions in owed wages annually. Post-October 7, 2023, Israel's suspension of most permits—reducing employment from 177,000 to under 25,000 by early 2024—exacerbated vulnerabilities for remaining or infiltrated workers, who now face stricter security protocols amid claims of arbitrary detentions and unpaid compensation for prior service. assessments highlight a resultant "tatters" in Palestinian labor markets, with surging to historic highs, though they attribute pre-war partly to permit quotas fostering rather than inherent malice. Empirical data counters blanket narratives: permitted workers' voluntary participation and wage advantages suggest rational economic choice over PA alternatives, where informal sector conditions are comparably dire, underscoring permit-based regulation as a partial safeguard against worse abuses.

Wage Withholding and Payment Disputes

Palestinian workers employed in are subject to mandatory deductions from their wages for , typically ranging from 10% to 14% depending on income levels, and contributions amounting to approximately 8.02% for social benefits, as required under labor regulations applicable to foreign residents including Palestinians from the and . These deductions fund coverage for employment injuries, maternity allowances, and child benefits, in line with the 1994 Paris Protocol on Economic Relations, which integrates Palestinian laborers into 's system for work-related contingencies. However, disputes arise because workers often receive limited benefits in practice, such as restricted access to non-injury-related pensions or health services outside , prompting claims of systemic exploitation where deducted funds—estimated cumulatively in billions of shekels over decades—fail to provide equivalent reciprocity. Advocacy groups argue these withholdings exacerbate economic vulnerabilities without adequate returns, though authorities maintain the system ensures basic protections like injury compensation, with the Institute handling claims for foreign residents. Payment disputes intensified following the October 7, 2023, attacks on , which led to the immediate revocation of work permits for approximately 200,000 Palestinian laborers—about 150,000 from the and 13,000 legal workers from —effectively halting their due to heightened risks, including documented involvement of some workers in the attacks. Many workers were detained, fled amid the ensuing conflict, or faced barriers to returning, resulting in widespread allegations of unpaid wages for pre-suspension labor periods, with average daily earnings cited at around 297 shekels (approximately $79 USD) implying potential losses in the billions of dollars across affected individuals. In September 2024, a coalition of ten unions filed a complaint with the (ILO) under Article 24, accusing Israeli authorities of violating international labor conventions by failing to ensure redress for these withheld wages and benefits, and demanding immediate compensation while highlighting the push into for families dependent on remittances. Israeli employers, facing labor shortages, have in some cases appealed for permit reinstatements, but recouping back pay remains challenging due to logistical disruptions and legal hurdles, with thousands of claims unresolved as of mid-2025. Critics, including Palestinian labor organizations, contend that these practices reflect broader asymmetries in the bilateral economic framework, where deductions and payment delays serve as amid ongoing and political tensions, though no formal response to the ILO filing has publicly addressed the wage recovery demands directly. In settlements, additional complexities stem from application of pre-1967 Jordanian laws, leading to higher effective rates for workers there compared to citizens, further fueling perceptions of discriminatory withholding. Despite these controversies, the deductions framework persists as a condition of legal , with recent shifts in 2024 transferring wage calculation responsibilities from bodies to employers via the labor federation to streamline processes, though this has not resolved underlying benefit access disputes.

International and Palestinian Critiques

International organizations, including the (ILO) and the (ITUC), have accused of violating international labor standards in its treatment of Palestinian workers. In September 2024, ten global trade unions filed a with the ILO alleging that breached the 1949 Protection of Wages Convention by revoking work permits for approximately 200,000 Palestinian workers following the , 2023, attacks, without providing owed wages or severance compensation estimated in the billions of dollars. The ITUC's documented systemic exploitation, including a permit brokerage system where workers pay fees of $591 to $740, generating $119 million in illicit profits for brokers in 2018 alone, and wage disparities where Palestinians earn roughly half the monthly income of counterparts in similar roles, at $1,567 to $1,872 versus $3,198. Additional concerns include inadequate measures, with 59% of workers exposed to hazardous conditions and only 16% receiving paid , alongside the vulnerability of undocumented workers numbering around 26,000 in 2019 who face arbitrary deportation and wage theft without legal recourse. The Office of the High Commissioner for (OHCHR) has further critiqued Israel's permit suspensions as a form of economic , noting that the halt for 100,000 workers since October 2023 eliminated remittances constituting about a quarter of Palestinian gross inflows, exacerbating fiscal collapse in the Palestinian Authority (PA). These international bodies argue that such policies perpetuate dependency while denying workers access to social protections, though empirical indicates Israeli provides wages up to four times higher than local Palestinian rates, prompting voluntary participation despite restrictions. Palestinian critiques, voiced through unions like the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) and policy analysts, emphasize the dehumanizing aspects of cross-border labor, including daily humiliations at checkpoints involving invasive searches and . PGFTU surveys, referenced in ILO reports, highlight poor enforcement of , such as withheld social benefits totaling $188 million from 2006 to 2014, and argue that the permit regime fosters a captive labor pool susceptible to employer abuses like excessive hours—up to 42.4 weekly—and inadequate compensation for injuries in high-risk sectors like , where 17 Palestinian fatalities occurred in in 2019. Broader Palestinian commentary, including from Al-Shabaka analysts, frames the system as a tool of erasure, where summons workers during labor shortages but expels them amid security escalations, undermining Palestinian economic autonomy and normalizing through enforced dependency. PA officials have lamented the post-2023 permit revocations for crippling their , with remittances previously bolstering 35% of GDP indirectly, yet some factions critique continued reliance on jobs as eroding resistance and sovereignty. These views persist despite evidence that Palestinian workers often prioritize opportunities for superior earnings, with average daily wages reaching 297 shekels ($79) under permits.

Israeli Defenses and Broader Geopolitical Context

authorities maintain that the employment of Palestinian workers, subject to rigorous security vetting, serves as a stabilizing factor in the region by providing economic opportunities that mitigate incentives for violence. Permits for Palestinians to work in are issued only after background checks conducted by the (Shin Bet), evaluating factors including age, family status, and absence of terror affiliations, with approximately 100,000-150,000 such permits active pre-October 2023. This process, while not infallible—as evidenced by isolated incidents of vetted workers aiding attacks—has historically correlated with lower terror involvement among permitted laborers compared to the general population, according to security assessments that prioritize risk minimization over total exclusion. policymakers argue that blanket bans exacerbate Palestinian , which fuels unrest, whereas controlled labor access fosters interdependence that discourages broad support for militancy. In response to claims of exploitation, Israeli officials and analyses emphasize that wages for Palestinian workers in Israel average double those in the Palestinian territories—often 4,000-7,000 shekels monthly for full-time roles—supplemented by mandatory health insurance and social security contributions transferred to the Palestinian Authority under bilateral agreements. These arrangements, they contend, reflect equitable treatment within a framework designed for mutual benefit, countering narratives of systemic abuse by highlighting voluntary participation driven by economic disparity and the lack of comparable opportunities locally. Reports from Israeli economic bodies, such as the Bank of Israel, underscore that this labor influx fills critical gaps in sectors like construction and agriculture, sustaining Israeli productivity without displacing citizens, while injecting vital remittances into the Palestinian economy—estimated at billions annually pre-restrictions. Critics' focus on isolated violations, per this view, overlooks the regulated permit system and overlooks how alternative employment in Palestinian areas often yields lower pay and higher instability. The broader geopolitical context frames Palestinian labor mobility as an outgrowth of the 1993-1995 and the 1994 Paris Protocol on Economic Relations, which institutionalized asymmetric but cooperative ties to build confidence toward final-status negotiations. Under the Protocol, Israel facilitates worker entry via permits while collecting and clearing taxes, aiming to integrate Palestinian with markets as a —though stalled talks and recurrent violence, including the Second Intifada's permit revocations, have repeatedly subordinated labor flows to security imperatives. From Israel's standpoint, this system exemplifies pragmatic realism: economic engagement humanizes interactions and incentivizes Palestinian moderation, yet persistent terror threats—culminating in the , 2023, attack prompting mass permit suspensions—necessitate defenses like fenced crossings and daily quotas to preserve Israel's qualitative military edge and deter infiltration. This approach, rooted in causal assessments of poverty-violence links, prioritizes verifiable risk reduction over idealistic openness, even as it invites scrutiny from sources predisposed to frame restrictions as punitive rather than protective.

Current Status and Outlook

Recent Policy Shifts as of 2025

Following the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, Israel implemented a policy revoking work permits for approximately 115,000 to 120,000 Palestinian laborers from the West Bank, effectively halting their employment in Israel across sectors like construction and agriculture, where they had previously comprised up to one-third of the workforce. This measure, justified by Israeli authorities as a security response to heightened risks of infiltration and terrorism links among permit holders, persisted without significant reversal into 2025, with no permits issued for workers from Gaza. By the second quarter of 2025, Palestinian employment in Israel had fallen to around 24,000 workers, an 86% decline from pre-October 2023 levels of 177,000, reflecting sustained restrictions rather than any broad policy liberalization. Israeli officials, including the Population and Immigration Authority, have described any potential reinstatement of larger numbers of Palestinian workers as a political decision tied to broader security conditions, with permit issuance limited to vetted individuals under stringent oversight, reaching only about 11% of prior quotas by mid-. This approach aligns with risk assessments post-2023, which documented instances of workers involved in or facilitating attacks, prompting indefinite prioritization of border security over labor access. No major policy expansions occurred in , despite economic pressures from labor shortages; instead, the government accelerated recruitment of foreign migrant workers from and to substitute for Palestinian labor, aiming to mitigate vulnerabilities exposed by reliance on cross-border commuters. Proposals for long-term reforms, such as skill-based salary structures or expanded but regulated permits, emerged in analyses during 2025 but did not translate into enacted shifts, underscoring the dominance of security imperatives in policy continuity. The noted ongoing closures of employment opportunities in as a key factor exacerbating unemployment in the , with no indications of eased permit regimes by late 2025. This stasis reflects causal linkages between the 2023 attacks—resulting in over 1,200 Israeli deaths and hostages—and persistent threats, including documented cases of permit-holding workers aiding militants, outweighing economic arguments for resumption.

Replacement by Foreign Labor

In response to security threats following the , 2023, attacks, suspended work permits for approximately 115,000 Palestinian laborers from the , who previously filled critical roles in , , and caregiving sectors. This decision, aimed at mitigating risks from documented links among workers, created immediate labor shortages, with output dropping significantly as projects stalled due to the absence of an estimated one-third of the workforce previously comprising Palestinians. To counteract these gaps, accelerated imports of foreign labor, prioritizing workers from , , , and other nations under bilateral agreements. By August 2025, over 85,000 foreign workers had arrived since the war's onset, representing a deliberate policy shift to diversify the labor pool and diminish dependence on Palestinian entrants. Approximately 50% of these were allocated to , 17% to and , and the balance to agriculture, where pre-war Palestinian involvement had been substantial. Government initiatives included expanding foreign worker quotas, with plans announced in 2024 to import up to 70,000 additional laborers specifically for to resume and frozen by the shortages. By mid-2025, the sector employed around 336,000 total workers, down 5% from pre-war levels but increasingly reliant on non-Palestinian imports to sustain operations amid ongoing restrictions. This replacement strategy has been credited with stabilizing key industries, though it involves higher recruitment costs and logistical challenges compared to the prior use of proximate Palestinian commuters. The policy reflects a broader reassessment of labor vulnerabilities, with Israeli authorities citing empirical evidence of infiltration risks—such as the participation of permitted Palestinian workers in attacks—as justification for permanent alternatives over temporary revocations. Limited permits for about 7,000 vetted Palestinians were reinstated by July 2025 for high-security roles, but these constitute only 11% of pre-October 7 volumes, underscoring the pivot to foreign sourcing as a structural . Economic analyses indicate this transition has helped avert deeper recessions in labor-intensive sectors, despite initial disruptions.

Potential Long-Term Reforms

Proposals for long-term reforms to the of Palestinian workers in Israel emphasize integrating enhanced measures with economic efficiencies to address labor shortages while mitigating infiltration and risks. Policy analyses recommend overhauling the permit regime by establishing skill-based salary structures, expanding quotas for qualified workers in sectors like and , and curbing permit trafficking through joint Israeli-Palestinian oversight mechanisms. Such changes aim to align wages with levels, potentially increasing output and reducing disputes over underpayment, as evidenced by pre-2023 permit data where over 150,000 workers contributed significantly to Israel's economy before suspensions following the , 2023, attacks. Security-focused reforms prioritize technological upgrades to processes, including mandatory biometric identification, AI-driven risk profiling, and fenced, monitored crossings to replace ad-hoc permit issuance prone to and abuse. Data from the Institute for National Security Studies indicates that between 2013 and 2023, permitted Palestinian workers from the and were involved in fewer than 0.1% of terrorist incidents within Israel's pre-1967 borders, supporting the case for sustained access under rigorous protocols rather than outright bans, which have exacerbated Israeli labor deficits estimated at tens of thousands of positions as of 2025. Transitioning from intermediary contractors—who currently handle most hiring and have been criticized for —to direct employer sponsorship models could improve with labor standards and enable better tracking of worker movements. A 2023-2024 committee review exposed stalled implementation of such a reform announced for construction permits, attributing delays to bureaucratic inertia and security concerns amid ongoing conflict. Israeli security officials, as cited in independent assessments, have endorsed partial resumption of permits for vetted workers to stabilize the economy and reduce incentives for illegal crossings, which numbered over 4,000 arrests in early 2025 alone.