Fri Mar 07 08:25:15 UTC 2025: ## Israeli Authorities Rescue 10 Indian Workers from West Bank
**JERUSALEM, March 7, 2025** – Israeli authorities rescued 10 Indian laborers held hostage in the West Bank village of Al-Za’im on Thursday night, according to reports. The rescue operation, conducted by the Administration of Foreign Affairs, Population and Immigration Authority, and IDF, involved recovering the workers after midnight. The workers, who had been lured to Israel with promises of work, had their passports confiscated. The passports were later recovered when Palestinian individuals attempting to cross into Israel using them were apprehended.
Telugu associations in Israel, including the Israel Telangana Association (ITA), confirmed that none of the rescued workers were from Telangana or Andhra Pradesh, despite a significant influx of Indian construction workers to Israel in the past year. The ITA reported that over 500 workers from Telangana alone have arrived in Israel for construction work within the last year, following the Israeli government’s easing of work permit restrictions. Estimates suggest as many as 15,000 Indian workers are now employed in the Israeli construction sector. The ITA stated that while there are challenges related to the quality of work provided by some Indian workers, there are currently no major issues for Indian nationals working in Israel. The ITA added that while caregivers from India were previously the most in-demand professionals in Israel, the construction sector has seen a recent surge in Indian workers.
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