Shaher Saad: More than half a million Palestinian workers are unemployed after October 7, with losses exceeding 25 billion shekels.

Mohamed Al-Balidi: Domestic workers enjoyed a degree of economic stability and believed that their work would continue without interruption.

Mahmoud Ziyada: The absence of a national social protection system exacerbated workers' suffering after October 7 and threatens social protection.

Jihad Aql: A worker who is unable to provide for his family suffers a psychological and social breakdown, which increases social crises within the family and society.

Since October 7, 2023, nearly a quarter of a million Palestinian workers who worked within the Green Line have faced a harsh living reality after their sources of income were suddenly cut off.

According to workers and union officials interviewed by Al-Quds, the ongoing war and Israeli restrictions on work permits have brought this vital sector, once considered a pillar of the Palestinian economy, to a near-complete standstill. This has exacerbated the suffering of workers, who find themselves trapped between unemployment and poverty, without any real social protection.

In heartbreaking testimonies from several Palestinian governorates, workers recount how their lives collapsed in just a few months. They lost their jobs, their source of income, and even their savings, and were forced to borrow or sell essential assets to secure their families' needs. Many confirmed that the crisis has affected every aspect of their lives, from education and health to housing, amid a lack of an effective response from official bodies and trade unions.

Figures released by trade unions reflect the scale of the disaster, with the number of unemployed exceeding half a million, and economic losses amounting to more than 25 billion shekels.

Despite some limited initiatives, the vast majority of affected workers have not received any tangible support, at a time when calls are growing for a comprehensive social protection system that guarantees a minimum level of human dignity for this group, which was once the backbone of the national economy, according to union officials.

Domestic workers... great suffering

Alaa al-Ghoul, a displaced person from Nour Shams camp, recounts his suffering since October 7, 2023. Alaa, who spent 14 years working in painting, decorating, and construction work within the Green Line, suddenly found himself unemployed, homeless, and without any source of income.

Alaa says, "I had a regular job at a company. My job was specialized in painting and decorating. I would go every day with a permit from the company and return in the evening. My daily income was 350 shekels, which allowed me to cover the basic necessities of life, such as building a house, educating my children, and buying a car. We lived a stable life like everyone else."

But according to Alaa, everything changed after the war. Work came to a complete standstill, and unemployment became a collective fate, causing great suffering for workers and increasing the suffering of workers who were displaced from their camps.

Alaa, whose home in Nour Shams camp was destroyed by the occupation forces, now lives in a shelter. He says, "I'm unemployed and have no income. We spent what we had saved, and we even borrowed money, accumulating debts. The situation has caused us significant psychological stress."

Lack of support from the Ministry of Labor and unions

Despite promises from official authorities, neither Alaa nor any other affected workers received any tangible support, according to Alaa. "We contacted the former minister and the current minister, but we received no response. They withdrew our workers' insurance and granted us unemployment insurance, but we were not compensated for the damages."

Alaa confirms that street stalls have increased, and finding work has become almost impossible. He says, "The economy now relies solely on employees. There are no salaries paid, and no work is done domestically. We, as workers, used to provide support to the economy and provide for our own basic needs. But now we've lost everything."

Alaa calls on the Ministry of Labor and labor unions to take immediate action, saying, "We have been appealing for a year and eight months without any response. They must assume their responsibilities. Even if the assistance is small, it makes a difference. If they cannot support us financially, let them help us by coordinating with institutions to postpone university payments or health, water, and electricity bills."

Alaa adds, "Why aren't displaced workers supported and assisted? Why aren't they provided with urgent aid? This is a humanitarian and moral duty before it is a national responsibility."

From the town of Yatta, south of Hebron, Suleiman Harizat, a worker who worked inside the Green Line, recounts the harsh transformation in his life after October 7, 2023. Suleiman, who used to work in construction,

"The minimum monthly income for any worker inside was 10,000 shekels," Harizat says. "Today, a worker cannot bring in even 10 shekels!"

"I was paid 500 shekels a day, but we had huge obligations, from permit costs to building a house or buying an apartment, to household expenses and transportation to get us to work, which is expensive," Harizat adds.

With work halted, many workers were forced to make difficult choices. “Some workers climbed the wall in a dangerous attempt to enter,” Suleiman said. “Others sold their wives’ jewelry to buy cars, even if they were illegal. Some collected iron to sell, and others sold their home furniture.”

The worker was the engine of the Palestinian economy.

Suleiman himself was forced to give up part of his savings to cover his basic expenses. He asserts, "The worker was a fundamental driver of the Palestinian economy, but when he became unemployed, no one asked about him."

Harizat points out that some workers are now threatened with imprisonment for bounced checks, asking, "Why are the workers' conditions not being taken into account? Why is this group, which used to be the country's economic lifeline, being neglected?"

Ali Thawabat, a worker from the town of Beit Fajjar, south of Bethlehem, recounts his suffering after being suspended from work within the Green Line, where he had been working in construction for six years.

Thawabteh says: “I used to get 300 shekels a day, but it wasn’t enough. My daily expenses were high, and I had obligations like university fees and construction.”

Ali Thawabta confirms that many workers in Bethlehem rely on donations from charitable people to meet their basic needs. He says, "The worker has become poor. There is no work, and the situation is tragic."

Thawabteh adds, "We demand that the government and unions provide us with aid or job opportunities. Many workers in the West Bank have been laid off, and many businesses have closed due to the difficult economic conditions."

The Palestinian labor market is experiencing an unprecedented crisis.

Shaher Saad, Secretary-General of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions, asserts that the Palestinian labor market has been experiencing an unprecedented crisis since October 7, 2023, following the escalation of security incidents and the outbreak of war on the Gaza Strip. This has led to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian workers losing their jobs, both inside occupied Palestine and in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Saad explains that the number of Palestinian workers working within the 1948 territories before October 7th amounted to approximately 248,000, of whom 200,000 held official work permits, while approximately 48,000 were working illegally without permits.

According to Saad, these workers were a vital backbone of the Palestinian economy, with the Bank of Israel estimating that their monthly salaries totaled 1.35 billion shekels.

Saad asserts that the disaster was not limited to the cessation of work inside Israel, but also extended to broad sectors within the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Estimates indicate that the number of unemployed currently stands at approximately 507,000 workers, including 248,000 who lost their jobs in the 1948 territories, and approximately 100,000 who lost their jobs from the West Bank, while the remaining numbers are distributed across the Gaza Strip.

The Secretary-General of the Workers' Unions stresses that what happened after October 7, 2023, was completely unexpected. Initial estimates indicated that the work stoppage would be temporary and would last for a few months, but the war dragged on, and workers have not yet been allowed to return.

The occupation did not commit to compensating the affected workers.

Saad asserts that the Israeli occupation has not complied with any agreements related to compensating affected workers, leaving tens of thousands of Palestinian families without a source of income or savings, triggering a serious economic and social crisis.

Saad points out that Palestinian workers' losses since October 7, 2023, have exceeded 25 billion shekels, directly impacting the decline in Palestinian GDP and causing poverty rates among workers to rise to 38%, a significantly higher rate compared to the period preceding 2023.

"When a Palestinian worker loses a large amount of income at once, it creates major economic, social, and psychological problems," Saad says.

Saad asserts that Palestinian workers are currently experiencing the worst possible economic and social conditions. There are no new job opportunities and no imminent hope of legally returning to work within the 1948 territories.

The amount of support does not match the amount of damage.

Despite numerous initiatives to try to mitigate the crisis, Saad asserts that the amount of support provided so far does not match the extent of the damage, describing it as "meager and insufficient to meet the needs of the workers." He noted that the aid has been limited to a very small percentage of workers, most of whom are from Gaza who lost their jobs and remain stranded in the West Bank.

Saad warns of the repercussions of this continuing situation, emphasizing that tens of thousands of workers remain unemployed to this day, in the absence of any real and comprehensive solutions. This further exacerbates the crisis affecting the national economy and Palestinian society as a whole. He emphasizes that these workers, in addition to losing their jobs, lack any social protection, social security, or even health insurance.

October 7 is a major turning point in the lives of thousands of workers.

For his part, the Secretary-General of the New Federation of Trade Unions, Muhammad al-Balidi, says that the events of October 7, 2023, marked a major turning point in the lives of thousands of Palestinian workers, particularly those employed in Israeli facilities within the 1948 territories or in the settlements.

Al-Balidi asserts that workers inside Israel enjoyed a degree of economic stability, as their salaries were relatively high, sometimes reaching multiples of, or even ten times, the average wage in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Al-Balidi points out that many of them were building their homes or had financial obligations to building contractors and workers in the West Bank, and they believed their work would continue uninterrupted.

However, according to Al-Balidi, the surprise of October 7th disrupted this stability. More than 200,000 Palestinian workers lost their jobs directly, both inside Israel and in the settlements. Despite the subsequent partial return of some workers to the settlements, the majority remain prohibited from working within the Green Line to this day.

Al-Balidi points out that the conditions of these workers have deteriorated significantly, with many forced to sell their property and cars to secure their basic needs, in the absence of any effective support from the Palestinian government due to its financial crisis.

Al-Balidi asserts that many workers have attempted to find alternatives to secure their livelihoods, such as opening stalls or small businesses. However, economic challenges have prevented many of these attempts from succeeding, and crises have worsened, particularly in areas of the northern West Bank, such as Jenin and Tulkarm, which have suffered widespread destruction, home demolitions, and forced displacement due to the ongoing Israeli escalation.

Collecting workers' rights, especially savings

Al-Balidi explains that the new labor unions began working from the first day after October 7 to recover workers' rights, particularly the financial savings owed to them. Through legal teams and lawyers, they were able to recover approximately 70 million shekels for the affected workers.

Al-Balidi emphasizes that there is a shared union and societal responsibility that must be shouldered by all parties, especially given that thousands of workers were paying monthly union dues amounting to 8 or 10 percent of their salaries, amounting to hundreds of millions of shekels. This makes it imperative for these unions to stand by them during this difficult time.

Al-Balidi asserts that the failure to pass the Social Security Law years ago was a severe blow to Palestinian workers.

Al-Balidi said, "Had this law been passed and implemented, we wouldn't have reached this state of helplessness and loss. Social security would have provided an economic and social safety net. We hope it will be re-introduced and worked on in a fair manner that serves the interests of workers and all citizens."

Absence of any national social protection system

Mahmoud Ziada, a member of the General Federation of Independent Trade Unions and a union activist in the social protection sector, explained that the loss of jobs for thousands of Palestinian workers after October 7, 2023, has plunged them and their families into a severe livelihood crisis due to the lack of income and the absence of any national social protection system in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, threatening social protection.

Ziyada points out that the majority of these workers supported their families through income from work, whether within the 1948 territories or in local facilities, which made them vulnerable to poverty and destitution once they lost their sole source of income.

Ziada asserts that the problem is not limited to the cessation of operations in Israeli facilities, but also includes the decline in job opportunities in the local Palestinian market, which was already suffering from high unemployment even before the outbreak of the war.

Ziyada points out that living conditions have worsened in light of the sharp rise in the prices of basic consumer goods and commodities, exacerbating the economic and social suffering of workers and their families. He explains that this crisis, which has been ongoing for more than a year and a half, is beginning to have negative repercussions on social life unless radical solutions are quickly found.

Ziada stresses that the absence of a comprehensive national social protection system is one of the most significant shortcomings in dealing with crises, asserting that this absence renders society unable to protect its members during crises and provide the minimum requirements for a decent living.

The principle of solidarity, mutual support and burden sharing

"We are in dire need of such a system, not only as a means of alleviating poverty, but as an existential necessity linked to the ability to persevere and continue the struggle for national liberation," Ziada says.

Ziada believes that establishing a national social protection system must be built on the principles of solidarity, mutual support, and burden-sharing, with citizens contributing to its financing in proportion to their income levels. This will enable it to intervene in emergencies and disasters, as is the practice in many countries around the world.

Ziada asserts that this project is not merely economic, but also carries political, social, legal, and moral dimensions, and expresses Palestinian society's commitment to the values of solidarity in the face of occupation and colonialism.

Ziada calls for the need for unions and relevant authorities to provide guidance and direction to workers, especially during difficult times, noting that the responsibility falls on all components of Palestinian society to achieve a "historic achievement" that achieves social justice and guarantees human dignity.

Ziada says, "All Palestinian national movements agree on the necessity of building this system as a realistic alternative that contributes to burden-sharing and enhances the Palestinian people's ability to withstand ongoing challenges. This system is supposed to see the light of day, strengthening social solidarity in difficult circumstances."

The conditions of Palestinian workers are "extremely painful"

For his part, trade unionist Jihad Aql describes the conditions of Palestinian workers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as "extremely painful," noting that the working class is at the forefront of those affected by the repercussions of the ongoing war since October 7, 2023, whether economically, psychologically, or socially.

"What is happening in the Gaza Strip is a war of extermination that does not differentiate between a child, a worker, or a civilian," Aql said, stressing that many workers have been martyred or seriously injured, losing their jobs and livelihoods. He emphasized that "the situation is not just suffering, but a tragedy in every sense of the word."

In the West Bank, Aqel notes that the Israeli occupation authorities have imposed a stifling siege on workers and revoked all work permits since October 7, 2023. This has prevented thousands of workers from entering their workplaces within the Green Line, and their conditions have deteriorated to an unprecedented degree.

Aql says, "Workers are now living in extremely dire conditions, especially in areas subject to continuous raids, particularly in Jenin camp, Tulkarm camp, and Nour Shams, where the occupation forces target every Palestinian without discrimination."

Aql asserts that the Israeli occupation makes no distinction between workers and ordinary citizens. Rather, it continues its policies of starvation and siege, forcing some workers to risk their lives in order to earn a living by attempting to infiltrate the occupied territories to work despite the grave security risks.

stifling social and living disturbances

Aql points out the profound psychological impact workers experience, noting that being deprived of the ability to support their families and purchase basic necessities creates intense psychological stress and causes stifling social and economic unrest.

Aql says, "A worker who is unable to provide for his family is exposed to psychological and social collapse, which increases social crises within the family and society."

Aql believes that the occupation authorities' actions against Palestinian workers are part of a systematic displacement policy aimed at undermining the resilience of the Palestinian people and dismantling their social fabric. He asserts that the occupation seeks to influence the psychology of Palestinian workers, driving them to despair of the possibility of remaining in their homeland.

Aql explains that the working class has always been at the forefront of the Palestinian struggle and a pillar of popular uprisings, but today it faces repression, arrests, and abuse and is at the forefront of the ongoing tragic scene.

Regarding the means of obtaining rights, Aql says: "What the Israeli government has done constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, which stipulates that an occupying power must guarantee a decent living for the population under its occupation."

Aql continues: "There are workers who turn to lawyers or labor unions to collect their entitlements, such as savings and work compensation. However, this process is painful, as lawyers deduct a percentage of these savings, in addition to a 30% deduction from the original amount by Israeli authorities, which represents a huge loss for the workers."

Aql points out that the Palestinian Ministry of Labor, along with international organizations expressing solidarity, has filed official complaints with the International Labor Organization and relevant authorities regarding these violations. He expresses hope that these efforts will yield positive results that will ensure workers are compensated for the significant losses they have suffered and that some of their stolen rights are restored.