Report: Israel approves entry of 5,000 workers from Gaza
The Al-Ahbar newspaper close to Hezbollah reported that after more than a decade, Israel allowed many Gaza workers to work in Israel. According to the summary, obtained by Egypt, UN and Qatar, the number of approvals will even reach 15,000 by early 2020
Report: Israel approves entry of 5,000 workers from Gaza
Photo: Reuters, edited by Tomer LevyAfter more than a decade, Israel has allowed Egypt-mediated UN, Qatar and many Gaza workers to work in Israel, according to a newspaper published in Al-Aghar, which is close to Hezbollah. This allows a quota of 5,000 Gazan workers to work in Israel, but in a new way of obtaining a commercial permit.
Reportedly, there is a possibility that the number will increase at the beginning of the new year. Economic journalist Muhammad Abu Jiab said that in the negotiations between the UN, Qatar and Israel it was agreed that the number of approvals would reach 15,000 by early 2020. This is an approval given after a close security check and it is provided that the details of the agreement are kept away from the media.
Before 2007, some 120,000 Gazan workers worked in Israel. Since the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip, Israel has imposed a siege that has prevented the Gazans from continuing to work in many industries, including the construction industry, which has led to a high rate of unemployment and poverty in the Gaza Strip.
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The new approval has so far led to the appeal of thousands of Palestinians, who are forced to take a series of steps, in which they apply to the Gaza Ministry of Economy to open a personal commercial registration, or enter through a company for a sum of money received by the company. In addition, purchase invoices should be presented in the amount of NIS 20,000. The Palestinian side submits the request to an Israeli party that is supposed to approve or refuse it.
One of the workers, who introduced himself as Anwar, said that he paid $ 400 to a company in Gaza to become a partner in it and get a trade permit and today he earns about NIS 300 a day in construction. A pharmacist by the name of Muhammad Ganem said that since 2017 his debts have accrued and his pharmacy has been closed. He currently works in the cluster area. Opening the documents cost him $ 500 and after four months received the permits. He now earns about NIS 400 for a work day.
The Unit for Coordination of Government Operations in the Occupied Territories said that the unit had issued more than 30,000 permits for humanitarian needs in 2018 - in part for life-saving medical treatments that cannot be obtained in the existing health system in the Gaza Strip. "We will emphasize that all permits are issued in accordance with existing criteria and subject to security clearance," the unit added, noting that as of the beginning of 2019, approximately 25,000 humanitarian permits have been issued for Gaza residents.
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"In recent years (including 2018 and 2019), there has been a fixed quota for 5,000 merchants in the Gaza Strip, who are allowed to leave the Gaza Strip for Israel and Judea and Samaria," the government's coordinating unit in the Occupied Territories added. "We will emphasize that all other permits are examined individually and issued subject to the criteria stated on the MAP website as well as subject to security clearance."
These are some of the Hamas-Israel contacts to an overall arrangement that are indirectly ongoing. In the context of these contacts, there has already been a period for increasing the number of Palestinians entering Gaza into Israel. Among other things, the possibility of increasing one thousand merchants entering the Gaza Strip into Israel is being investigated. The ISA strongly opposes the entry of workers from the Gaza Strip because of the security risk involved, and because of the security checks required for each worker.
