The Palestinian Center for Prisoners Advocacy said Palestinian workers are marking International Workers’ Day amid continued arrests and restrictions, part of what it described as a decades-long policy that undermines their ability to work and live in stability.
The center said Israeli army arrests have targeted workers from the West Bank, as well as others traveling to jobs inside Israel. It said workers are repeatedly pursued and detained, often over alleged permit violations or broad security claims. In many cases, the center added, security charges are brought against them and they face trials that fall short of basic standards of justice.
According to the center, the measures often go beyond arrests in the field. Workers may be detained for varying periods, fined, and held in difficult conditions, worsening their living situation and placing further pressure on their families. Many, it said, are simply trying to earn a living amid closures, checkpoints, and economic restrictions.
The center warned that such violations and arrests have increased recently, alongside tighter limits on workers’ movement and intensified detention campaigns, leaving workers in a more unstable situation.
It said targeting workers and preventing them from reaching their jobs is a clear violation of human rights and harms the Palestinian economy, especially given the lack of job opportunities.
The center called for effective international action to end these policies, protect Palestinian workers, and guarantee their right to work with dignity and safety, free from pursuit and arrest.
