Today (Wednesday) the Israeli government approved the recruitment of five thousand foreign workers to the agricultural sector in the country.

A joint statement by the Israeli Ministries of Interior and Agriculture said that the step has become more urgent in light of the departure of thousands of foreign workers working in the agricultural sector in Israel due to the war on the Gaza Strip since the seventh of last October.

The statement stated, “The government decided, at the initiative of the Minister of Interior, Moshe Arbel, and Labor Minister, Yoav Ben Tzur, to allow the immediate entry of 5,000 foreign workers to work in the agricultural sector.”

The statement stated that these workers will be invited and brought to Israel by a private manpower company that has a license to employ foreign workers in the agricultural sector.

Israeli Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter welcomed the aforementioned step, considering that it helps the Israeli agricultural sector return to normal quickly.

Dichter said, "This step would support farmers who are in dire need of this labor, so that the agricultural sector can return to normal, continue its work, and ensure food security."

Labor Minister Yoav Tzur confirmed that his ministry has stopped the entry of Palestinian workers and is working to provide alternative solutions.

He explained, "We stopped the entry of Palestinian workers, and at the same time we are working with the rest of the ministries to provide solutions for farmers and the labor market in Israel."

With the outbreak of war against the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip, more than 7,800 foreign workers left Israel for their country, according to the statement.

The statement stated that "the Israeli agricultural sector suffered severe damage, accompanied by the departure of more than 7,800 foreign workers from Israel to their country," noting that these constitute 26% of the number of foreign workers working in the agricultural sector in Israel.

Israel kept the door closed to 20,000 Palestinians who worked until the beginning of the war in the Israeli agricultural sector, after not allowing them to return to their workplaces.

On October 7, Israel declared a state of war for the first time in 50 years, and launched Operation “Iron Swords” against the Gaza Strip after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack under the name “Al-Aqsa Flood.”