Palestinian workers search for their families in Gaza after being deported from Israel

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Thousands of Palestinian workers in Israel have lost contact with relatives in the Gaza Strip as a result of Israeli aggression against the territory since Oct. 7, according to the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz.

Thousands of workers were in Israel when the conflict broke out Oct. 7 following Hamas’ surprise attack against Israel.

Workers were kept in Israeli prisons until the Israeli security cabinet approved Thursday their return to Gaza, said the newspaper.

Workers arriving in Gaza could not reach residential areas, especially in the northern regions and Gaza City, due to the violent Israeli bombing against the Strip.

According to a security source at the Karm Abu Salem commercial crossing, also known as Karem Shalom, the workers walked 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) to enter Gaza after being left at the crossing by Israeli forces.

The source, who spoke to Anadolu on condition of anonymity, said the workers arrived in Rafah and the necessary assistance was provided by the government and relief agencies, especially since Israeli authorities confiscated their money and mobile phones.

The Hebrew newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, reported that Israel released 3,200 Palestinian workers Friday.

“About 3,200 workers from Gaza who were arrested after the surprise attack carried out by Hamas on Oct. 7 on Israel were released,” it said.

Hassan Abu Al-Khair, one of the released workers from Rafah, told Anadolu: “We were in Israel and wanted to escape to the West Bank after the Gaza Strip borders were closed but the Israeli army arrested us.”

“I have not communicated with my family since Oct. 7,” Abu Al-Khair said. “We do not know anything about them.”

“During our time in Israeli prisons, we lived through very difficult conditions, we ate a tomato at noon and an apple in the evening,” he said.

Abdel Nasser Abdel Bari, another Palestinian worker and resident of the Al-Shati Camp in western Gaza City, told Anadolu that “Israeli forces arrested us in the city of Rahat in the Negev then took us for investigation regarding Hamas.”

“The Israeli forces asked us about our residence addresses in Gaza, they asked us many other questions regarding Hamas in Gaza then they threatened to bomb our houses if we lied or didn’t answer,” he said. “I was told that my family left our house towards the south of the Strip.”

Ramzi Abu Tir, from the town of Abasan Al-Kabira, told Anadolu: “We were working in the city of Rahat before we headed to the West Bank.”

“We were arrested at the checkpoints and thrown in prisons for no reason,” Abu Tir said. “We couldn’t communicate with our relatives. The Israeli forces seized our phones, our ID cards, and the money we had on us.”

The Ministry of Labor in Gaza said Israel has given work permits to nearly 18,500 workers from Gaza since October 2021.

But due to Jewish holidays, a large number of workers were back in Gaza when the war broke out.

The Israeli army has widened its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since the surprise offensive by Hamas on Oct. 7.

Nearly 10,800 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 9,227 Palestinians and more than 1,538 Israelis.

Basic supplies are running low for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents due to the Israeli siege, in addition to the large number of casualties and displacements.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi