Palestinian workers suffer monthly losses of $373m following war

The secretary general of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) said that tens of thousands of Palestinian workers have been deprived of their wages for the past 17 months, Wafa news agency reported on Wednesday.  

Shaher Saad added that the estimated monthly loss for workers was around 1.35 billion shekels (approximately $373m).

In a statement on International Workers' Day, Saad said the unemployment rate had dramatically surged in Palestine since the beginning of the war in October 2023, with more than half a million people currently unemployed.

Saad explained that thousands of workers have been detained, subjected to abuse, torture and enforced disappearance, in addition to facing fines imposed by the Israeli military, for pursuing a livelihood, particularly since 7 October 2023.

He also said that Palestinian workers who had lost their jobs and livelihoods in Israel since the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel and the subsequent war were forced to sell personal items to subsist.

About 89 percent of Palestinian workers lack any form of social protection or pension funds under the Israeli government, Saad said.   

Saad added that unemployment, poverty, and hunger are the defining themes of International Workers' Day in Palestine this year.