In a disastrous economic context, Palestinians in the West Bank, who have seen their economy crushed by the war, are crossing heavily armed checkpoints clandestinely, simply to work illegally in Israel.

At the beginning of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza he banned almost all Palestinian workers from entering the country, a decision that affected around 150,000 West Bank Palestinians who used to cross into Israel each day to work, as well as around 18,000 Gazans.

Since then, a tiny portion of them have returned legally. In December, Israeli businesses lobbied lawmakers to grant a waiver for the return of some 8,000 to 10,000 Palestinian workers, amid a severe labor shortage that has hurt the economy Israeli, which relies heavily on Palestinian workers to support its industries.

The war on Gaza has had a disastrous impact on the West Bank economy, which shrank by 22.7 percent and saw its unemployment rate reach 32 percent, according to to data from the International Labor Organization.

With few options, many desperate Palestinians are looking for ways to cross into Israel to continue working, even illegally.

Israeli newspaper Yediot Achronot reported that 40,000 Palestinians entered through breaches of the separation wall, the combination of fences and walls in and around the West Bank that isolate Palestinians from Israel.

To achieve this, Palestinians have had to pay smugglers, bribe army officials and risk arrest and harsh treatment at checkpoints.

Jihad al-Jabareen, 47, from Nablus, is one example. After the war prevented him from working, he returned to his job as a construction worker in Ashkelon by hiding in an ambulance and liaising with its driver. He then took over the Rantis checkpoint, west of Ramallah, which he said generally receives less stringent inspections.

But once in Israel, Al-Jabareen’s luck turned south. His employer, taking advantage of Al-Jabareen’s illegal status, began withholding his monthly salary for three months. To top it off, the construction site he was working on was raided and everyone was arrested for illegal work. Al-Jabareen said he was beaten by Israeli police.

Survival strategies

According to Shaheer Saad, general secretary of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions, 5,100 workers from Gaza and the West Bank were arrested at their workplaces in the occupied territories for working without a permit in Israel or for violating their stay.

To find another job, Al-Jabareen turned to a smuggler who helps Palestinians pass through the Jalemeh checkpoint, near Jenin. He got into a car with a girl and two other young men. After about 500 meters, they were asked to pay 600 shekels each to the smuggler. But all this was in vain. At the checkpoint, Israeli police arrested the entire group.

A smuggler who spoke on condition of anonymity to The new Arabic described how the process usually works: he charges 500 shekels per worker and brings them in by bribing army officers stationed at checkpoints. He conducts around 10 to 20 smuggling campaigns every weekend, earning around 9,000 shekels. During the week, he makes around five passes through checkpoints.

Depending on the smuggler, the amounts paid to the military can vary widely, depending on the number of workers smuggled and the officers present at the checkpoint.

He said the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, is aware of the smuggling operations but chooses not to intervene. The new Arabic could not independently verify these claims.

Firas Jaber, a Ramallah-based researcher, said Israeli officials are largely looking the other way, allowing Palestinian workers to enter Israel out of economic necessity, while Israel’s construction and agriculture sectors are hit hard by the labor shortage.

“The Israeli economy, which is the Israeli power in the region, is collapsing because of the restrictions. If workers are not allowed in, where will they find housing in two years? This is why employers allow workers in: personal interests trump public interests. Employers will not wait a year or more for the Israelis to allow workers to enter legally,” he said.

To live in Israel is to live like a ghost

On the other hand, the Palestinian labor market cannot absorb workers, who earn much more in Israel and are in dire need of them.

At least on the surface, Israel has taken tough measures to combat illegal workers. In recent months, they have even increased penalties: employers risk being hit with fines or having their operations suspended for several days if they intentionally employ large numbers of workers without permits.

However, many are willing to take the risk.

In the central Israeli city of Lod, a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship said he rents his house to illegal Palestinian workers, despite facing sanctions if he is arrested. He earns about 20,000 shekels a month renting apartments for about 3,000 shekels each, he said.

Another worker who tried his luck is Issam Al-Araj, 30, from Ramallah. Four months after the war began, he chose to return to work in Israel, in interior design, because there was no way to make ends meet from the West Bank.

Al-Araj got the green light from his manager to return to work, so he crossed the border using the Beit Sira checkpoint. During his first entry, he managed to pass by paying a lump sum of 500 shekels to a smuggler. Although the checkpoints incited terror, he found a generally safe life once in Israel, where he stayed for three weeks, before returning.

The second time he went to Israel, he wasn’t so lucky. Al-Araj and a driver went to the Ni’lin checkpoint, west of Ramallah. The army stopped them to inquire about their destination, then confiscated the car and driver for 24 hours. Al-Araj was detained for two hours and then released.

In the third attempt, police stopped them at Kharbatha bridge. He was forced to pay an additional 600 Israeli shekels ($159) to bribe his way into his workplace.

Once in Israel, Al-Araj said he used a bicycle to get around. He avoids public transportation because he risks being arrested and questioned, which could lead to his deportation. He lives in a small house with 30 other workers, each using a thin mattress on the floor as a bed and plastic bags as a wardrobe. Yet they still have to pay 1,000 shekels each.

“You live like a ghost in Israel for fear of being discovered. If someone asks me for my credentials or my permission, I would be in trouble, as would my employer, and he was nice to me,” Al-Araj said.

“It’s an uncomfortable life, but what other options do I have? »

Aseel Mafarjeh is a journalist specializing in the West Bank, focusing on stories that speak to the challenges and creativity of Palestinian youth.

This piece was published in collaboration with Égab