Israel Rescues 10 'Missing' Indian Construction Workers From West Bank

According to reports by Israeli media, the ten Indian construction workers were rescued overnight from a village in West Bank where they had been "held hostage for over a month".

Israeli authorities have rescued ten Indian construction workers from a village in West Bank.

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The Indian Embassy in Israel on Thursday said that Israeli authorities have traced and rescued ten missing Indian construction workers from the West Bank. They have brought back to Israel and the embassy is in touch with the authorities regarding the development. 

"Israeli authorities traced 10 missing Indian construction workers to West Bank & have brought them back to Israel. While the matter is still under investigation, the Embassy is in touch with the Israeli authorities & have requested to ensure their safety & well-being," the Indian embassy said in a post on X on March 6.

Local Media Says Workers Were Held Hostage For Over A Month

According to a report by the Times of Israel, the Population and Immigration Authority said that 10 Indian workers were rescued overnight from a village in West Bank where they had been "held for over a month".

As per the report, the workers, who had originally come to Israel for work, were rescued in an operation conducted by the IDF and the Justice Ministry. Following their rescue, they were taken to a safe location as the authorities determined their employment status. It also noted that IDF had detected the illicit use of Indian passports, which were later returned to to their owners.

The report quoted the authority saying: "Palestinians had lured the workers to the West Bank village of al-Zaayem with promises of work and then taken their passports and tried to use them to cross into Israel."

News outlet Ynetnews reported that the Indian passports were being used by Palestinians to easily bypass checkpoints and enter Israel. Israeli forces later intercepted some suspects at a checkpoint, which in turn led to the recovery of the Indian workers, Ynetnews reported. 

Nearly 16,000 Indian labourers arrived in Israel last year as part of Israeli government's efforts to fill in the void created after thousands of Palestinian construction workers were prohibited from entering Israel following the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas.