Israel returned thousands of Palestinians to the war-torn Gaza Strip on Friday as it continued its crackdown on workers and laborers in the territory who had previously obtained permits to work in Israel and the occupied West Bank.
Large numbers of workers returned through the Karem Abu Salem crossing, called Kerem Shalom by Israel, east of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, which was pounded by Israeli planes and tanks for weeks since the war began on October 7.
“Before, we served them, worked for them – in homes, restaurants and in markets – in exchange for the lowest wages, and despite this, today we are humiliated,” said Jamal Ismail, an employee of the Maghazi refugee camp. in the center of Gaza.
Israel has previously issued more than 18,000 permits allowing Palestinians from Gaza to cross into Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank to take up jobs in sectors such as agriculture or construction.
However, the system was abandoned, with Israel abandoning its previous policy of offering economic incentives for stability and instead launching a combined air and ground offensive to eradicate Hamas, the Palestinian armed group that controls Gaza.
Commenting on images showing men entering the Gaza Strip on foot, Miriam Marmur, advocacy director of the Israeli non-profit group Gisha, told Al Jazeera that she could not confirm Palestinian media reports that some 7,000 people had crossed the border to enter Gaza.
“We do not know how many people were detained by Israel or how many people were released in the Gaza Strip, but this appears to be the beginning of the implementation of the (Israeli cabinet) decision,” he said. -she declared.
Workers crossing the Palestinian enclave said they were arrested and mistreated by Israeli authorities following the October 7 attack.