Tel Aviv/New Delhi, Mar 7 (UNI) Ten missing Indian construction workers were rescued after being trapped in the Palestinian Authority of al-Zaayem for a month.
Israel's Population and Immigration Authority announced that the 10 Indian workers were rescued on Wednesday night.
The workers had been lured to the al-Zaayem town with promises of work.
However, upon their arrival, their passports were stolen. The thieves sought to use the stolen passports to enter Israel. And without their passports, the workers could not return to Israel, an Israeli website reported.
The workers were trapped for about a month before their rescue.
The IDF had previously identified the fraudulent use of the stolen passports and returned them to their rightful owners.
Following the rescue, the workers were moved to a safe location.
The Indian Embassy said on X that the matter is under investigation.
“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.”
Earlier this month, a 47-year-old man from Kerala was shot dead at the Israel-Jordan border while attempting to enter Israel illegally on February 10. He had come to Jordan on a three-month tourist visa.
The Indian national, identified as Ani Thomas Gabriel, was from Thiruvananthapuram's Thumba. He died of a bullet wound to the head, according to reports.
Another person from Kerala, Edison, a relative of Gabriel, was shot in his leg, and was sent back to India after getting treatment at a Jordanian hospital.
According to reports, Gabriel and Edison were part of a four-member group attempting to cross the border from Jordan into Israel with the help of an agent. All four had arrived in Jordan on a three-month visit visa.
The group was intercepted by the Jordanian army at the border, but as they attempted to escape, the army opened fire at them.
In November 2023, Israel’s construction sector had asked the government to allow companies to hire up to 100,000 workers from India to replace 90,000 Palestinians who lost their work permits since the start of the war.
UNI RN