16,000 Indian Construction Workers Enter Israel, Replace Barred Palestinians

Mon Dec 30 07:57:29 UTC 2024: ## Indian Workers Fill Construction Gap in Israel After Hamas Attack

**Beer Yaakov, Israel** – Following the October 7th Hamas attack, which barred thousands of Palestinian construction workers from entering Israel, the Israeli government has turned to India to fill the labor shortage. Thousands of Indian workers are now employed on construction sites across the country, building homes and infrastructure.

Raju Nishad, a 35-year-old worker from Uttar Pradesh, exemplifies this influx. Despite air raid sirens punctuating his workday, Nishad remains undeterred, motivated by the significantly higher wages he earns in Israel compared to his home country. He, along with approximately 16,000 other Indian workers who have arrived in the past year, are contributing to a new recruitment drive spearheaded by agencies like Dynamic Staffing Services, which has already placed over 3,500 workers. The company anticipates bringing in up to 10,000 more.

This initiative is driven by Israel’s need to address a significant labor shortfall in the construction sector. Before the Hamas attack, around 80,000 Palestinians and 26,000 foreign workers were employed in the sector. Now, that number has plummeted, impacting the construction industry’s growth. While Indian workers are helping, Israeli researchers note that the current number of foreign workers, including Indians, is far below pre-war levels, potentially causing delays in housing supply. This is particularly concerning given Israel’s growing population. Despite the challenges, workers like Nishad remain focused on their future, sending money back home and investing in their families.