For the first time in years, Gazans have permits to work inside Israel

GAZA

Mahmoud al-Dakhni hopes to be one of those who will be selected to obtain an Israeli permit allowing them to work in the territories occupied in 1948.

Like thousands of his peers, Mahmoud, 33, quickly registered his data on an electronic link allocated by the Ministry of Labor, run by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in Gaza, to those wishing to work in Israel, according to specific conditions.

In an unprecedented step, the Ministry of Labor in Gaza announced, last Sunday, that it had started receiving electronic applications for those wishing to work in Israel, and set conditions that the applicant should be over 26 years of age, married, not an employee, and possess a certificate of coronavirus vaccination, with Leave his criminal record.

This is the first time that a Hamas-affiliated ministry is supervising the process of registering workers to work in Israel. According to Hamas officials, this step falls within the context of “political understandings” and as part of strenuous efforts to reduce unemployment and economic deterioration in the coastal enclave that has been besieged for 15 years.

Since the Hamas takeover of Gaza in mid-2007, Israel has imposed a tight siege, which has deteriorated the living conditions of the majority of the two million Palestinians.

The situation has worsened due to the restrictions imposed by Israel since the last war last May. Al-Dakhni, a construction worker who supports a family of 6, tells Al-Jazeera Net that he has worked for a few days, not exceeding the number of "fingers of hands" since that war.

Severe unemployment crisis

In an indication of the depth of the unemployment crisis in Gaza, the first day witnessed the registration of more than 10 thousand applications for those wishing to obtain a work permit inside Israel, amid estimates that the number of registered persons will exceed 100 thousand at the end of the registration process.

According to the director of projects in the Ministry of Labor, Ayman Abu Karim, the ministry allows, in the first stage, to register all those wishing, who meet the conditions and meet the specified criteria, while in the second stage it will work on counting applications and classifying them according to the nature of work, and geographical distribution to ensure justice between the regions of the sector.

Abu Karim pointed out that the announcement of the registration of workers came in agreement with the political level in Gaza, and as a result of the efforts of mediators and several parties, to put an end to the rampant unemployment crisis, and the Ministry of Labor plays a technical and executive role in this regard.

While labor sources in Gaza say that 30,000 workers will obtain permits, Abu Karim said that the number and duration of work are not yet specified, and this will be discussed later at the political level and within the framework of his talks with mediators.

Estimates of the "General Federation of Palestinian Trade Unions" in Gaza indicate that there are 250 thousand unemployed, with an estimated rate of 55%.

Estimates of the General Federation of Palestinian Trade Unions in Gaza indicate that there are 250 thousand unemployed (Al-Jazeera)

Economic recovery

The head of the "General Federation of Palestinian Trade Unions" Sami Al-Amsi told Al Jazeera Net that 30,000 workers can reduce unemployment in Gaza by 7 to 10%.

Al-Amsi estimates that the number of workers allowed to work in Israel will rise to 70,000, according to the understandings of the political level in Gaza with the Egyptian and Qatari mediators.

On the mechanism for selecting workers, Al-Amsi explained that the Ministry of Labor plays a technical and technical role at this stage, and after classifying the names, those who meet the conditions and criteria will be directed to the Ministry of Economy and Chambers of Commerce, to complete their papers, and then the applications will be submitted to the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, which is the authority authorized to communicate with the Israeli side, which in turn will carry out a "security check" for job applicants.

About 8,800 workers from Gaza work in various sectors inside Israel, under the condition of obtaining "traders' permits", since Israel allowed this in 2019.

This was the first time that Israel allowed the entry of workers from Gaza, since it arrested about 120,000 workers after the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000.

Despite his reservations about working under the “merchant” clause, which deprives Gaza workers of their labor rights, the lack of other options prompted Al-Amsi to support this step because it would achieve, in his opinion, “a great benefit to the paralyzed Gaza economy, and lifting thousands of families out of poverty.”

The wages of a worker inside Israel range from 300 to 400 shekels (one dollar equals 3.12 shekels), while his wages in Gaza do not exceed 50 shekels.

Experts and businessmen in Gaza criticized the workers' tendency to work in Israel under "traders' permits", which allows the Israeli operator to manipulate workers' wages and evade their rights in the event of injury or death, and their entitlements related to insurance and end-of-service benefits.

Al-Amsi said that Israel “succumbed to pressure” by agreeing to the entry of workers from Gaza, even if this was according to “traders’ permits,” but it is an important step, calling at the same time, calling on the political level to continue pressure to improve understandings and guarantee workers’ full rights.