Israel deports thousands of Palestinian workers back to Gaza's war zone
Jerusalem (AP): Israel on Friday deported thousands of Palestinian workers from the Gaza Strip back to the besieged territory, Palestinian authorities said, capping what many described as harrowing weeks trapped in legal limbo since their detention when the Israel-Hamas war erupted.
Some workers, streaming by foot through an Israeli crossing that had been sealed shut since Hamas unleashed its brutal attack on southern Israel Oct 7, told of violent mistreatment by Israeli authorities in detention centres. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegations.
"We sacrificed and they treated us like livestock over there," one of the workers, Wael al-Sajda, said from the border, pointing to his ankle fitted with an identification bracelet.
Al-Sajda was among the roughly 18,000 Palestinians from Gaza allowed to work in menial jobs in Israel. The permits have been coveted in Gaza, which has an unemployment rate approaching 50 per cent.
Late Thursday, Israel announced it was revoking the workers' permits and would deport them.
Israel had said little about the workers since the Oct 7 Hamas attack.
The workers sent home on Friday talked about a massive roundup and being placed in Israeli prisons. Some returned with bruises and other wounds from what they said was abuse at the hands of Israeli authorities. Others returned psychologically scarred.
At least one, 61-year-old Mansour Warsh Agha, returned in a body bag.
"We just want answers about what happened. But Mansour has been killed so we don't know if we'll ever get them," said Basim Abu Samara, the 24-year-old nephew of Warsh Agha, who worked as a date farmer in Israel. His body was delivered to his family at Kerem Shalom crossing Friday.
The Warsh Agha family had last heard from Mansour on Oct 7. They eventually learned he had been scooped up at the Qalandiya checkpoint on the edge of Jerusalem, joining other workers in an attempt to flee to the West Bank as the military shut down the crossings.
Those who were arrested were sent to the Anatot and Ofer military prisons in the West Bank. There, workers said, they were blindfolded, interrogated, beaten repeatedly and deprived of water and food for extended periods.
"For three days, we remained handcuffed and blindfolded," said al-Sajda, the Palestinian worker returned to Gaza Friday. "They would put us under the sun for two, three or four hours, with no water, food or anything."
The ailing 61-year-old farmer, Warsh Agha, was released in bad shape and later died, labourers told his relatives in the northern city of Beit Lahiya. His body bore signs of severe beating, said his nephew, but hospitals in Gaza were too overwhelmed with the war-wounded to perform an autopsy or issue a medical report, his family said.
Israeli rights groups say Israel detained the workers without charge, due process or legal representation at a fraught time while their families in Gaza endured Israel's devastating bombardment. Over 9,000 Palestinians have died in the fighting, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
"They had valid permits to be in Israel and work there," said Miriam Marmur, public advocacy director at Gisha, an Israeli rights group that promotes freedom of movement for Palestinians. "They suddenly lost their status. They were in danger from anyone army, police, any random Israeli who sees them."
The scope of Israel's round-up remains unclear. As many as 10,000 deported Palestinians crossed back into Gaza Friday, said Wael Abu Omar, the spokesperson of Gaza's border crossings. Relieved families showered them with kisses at the Kerem Shalom border crossing in southern Gaza. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office and Defence Ministry declined to provide an exact figure.
Because workers came in and out of Israel, it was not known how many labourers were in the country at the time of the attack. Some of the returnees speculated that others are still in detention or hiding from Israeli security forces.
Israel's Justice Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. COGAT, the Israeli defence body that handles civilian affairs, including the workers' permits, declined to comment. But Israeli officials confirmed to The Associated Press that thousands of workers were in Israel at the time of the Hamas attack and that a number of them had been detained.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a classified security issue, said there were no indications at this point that the workers had any role assisting Hamas in its onslaught.
The rights groups described a near-total blackout by Israel on the conditions and locations of the labourers.
"This situation is unprecedented, both in the scope of the arrests and in the lack of transparency," said Jessica Montell, executive director of HaMoked, an Israeli group that provides legal aid for Palestinians. "Where are these people being held? On what legal grounds? We are waging a legal battle just to get answers to these very basic questions."
Palestinian workers who were rounded up said Israeli soldiers confiscated their money and cellphones. On Friday, they said they never got their belongings back.
"They sent us back home with nothing," said al-Sajda. "Nothing."
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Noida workers' protest turns violent; govt steps in, political blame game erupts
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Noida/Lucknow (PTI): Vehicles, including police SUVs, were torched, public property vandalised, and stone-pelting reported from industrial hubs in Noida on Monday as protests by factory workers demanding a wage hike turned violent, paralysing traffic.
The Uttar Pradesh Police used mild force to disperse the agitators and later registered FIRs against two X handles, charging them with spreading rumours linked to the unrest. The state government also formed a special panel to address the crisis.
Violence was first reported in afternoon, with sporadic stone-pelting and vandalism continuing till 5 pm. No major incidents of arson or violence were reported thereafter, officials said.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assured support to the worker community and said Uttar Pradesh was progressing steadily, but "some people were conspiring to obstruct its growth". His remarks drew sharp criticism from Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who flagged an intelligence failure and said the CM should step down if unable to handle the state.
The unrest, which began in the morning, left thousands of commuters stranded on key routes leading to Delhi during peak hours. Long queues of vehicles stretching several kilometres were reported at the Delhi-Noida border, with major congestion at Sector 62, National Highway-24, Sector 63 and the Chilla border. Protesters blocked key routes, including stretches connecting Sector 62 to Sector 16 and NH-9.
Officials said a large number of workers from industrial units in Phase-2 and Sector 60 gathered to press for long-pending wage revision demands and raised slogans.
Similar protests were reported from Sector 62 and Sector 84, including at a Motherson company unit. NH-9, a key link between Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh, was also blocked.
The protests soon escalated, with some protesters torching vehicles, vandalising property and pelting stones.
Officials said workers had been mobilising support for their demands on a wage hike and better working conditions in factories over the last two days. However, it was not clear what sparked the violence during the protest.
Heavy deployment was rushed to affected areas, while senior administrative and police officials remained on the ground to monitor the situation.
"The situation is under control and being continuously monitored. Efforts are being made to counsel the workers and maintain peace. Minimum force is being used wherever necessary to maintain law and order," police said, urging people not to pay heed to rumours.
The protests triggered widespread traffic snarls across Noida and Greater Noida. Traffic police said diversions were put in place and movement was gradually being restored at key points, including the Chilla border and the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway.
Commuters narrated their ordeal, with an office-goer, Prashant Shukla, saying he was stuck at the DND flyover for hours. "Vehicles were not able to move due to heavy traffic jams caused by the workers' protest. It took me nearly two hours to reach the office," he said.
Workers cited low wages and poor working conditions as the reason for the protest.
Gautam Buddh Nagar Additional Labour Commissioner Rakesh Dwivedi said workers are demanding a wage increase similar to what the Haryana government has given. "Besides, there are other issues as well, like overtime and food," he said.
A protester said that despite working 12-hour shifts, workers earn between Rs 11,000 and Rs 15,000, making it difficult to sustain a household. Another protester, Nakul Singh, alleged that companies were not paying overtime in accordance with norms.
A woman worker alleged irregularities in wage payments, saying workers are often made to sign for double shifts while being paid for a single duty. "Working conditions are often very difficult and need improvement," she said.
Another woman protester said, "Everything is becoming expensive, but our salaries remain around Rs 11,000-12,000. They should be increased to at least Rs 20,000-25,000."
The violence came a day after the state government announced measures to strengthen labour welfare, including mandatory double overtime pay, weekly offs and timely wages.
As the situation escalated, the chief minister, speaking at an event in Muzaffarnagar, assured workers of government support and urged them to maintain peace.
"I appeal to all the personnel employed in industrial units, as well as to the workers working with them, to recall how this 'double-engine' government stood by your side, something which you witnessed firsthand during the Covid period," he said.
Adityanath also cautioned workers against those trying to incite unrest.
"Do not let them succeed," he said, adding that "the government stands firmly with the workers and will provide security to entrepreneurs while simultaneously offering protection to every single worker."
He said the government is moving towards ensuring minimum honorarium and social security for workers and urged industrialists to maintain direct dialogue with employees.
Meanwhile, the state government constituted a high-powered committee to address the crisis and ensure coordination between workers, industry and administration.
Officials said the panel, comprising senior bureaucrats and representatives of workers' organisations and industry bodies, has reached Noida and will submit recommendations on priority.
"A thorough probe will also be conducted into any attempts by vested interests or political motives to disturb the atmosphere. Anarchy will not be allowed in UP, and appropriate solutions to the problems will be worked out," officials said.
The developments also triggered sharp political reactions.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav targeted the chief minister over remarks linking the protests to a conspiracy.
"If the honourable chief minister is calling the Noida workers' movement a conspiracy, was your intelligence police accompanying you during campaigning in Bengal?" Yadav said in a post on X.
"...If you can't manage the state, then step down -- otherwise, the public will throw you out," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister added.
He further alleged that inflation and "commission-driven dealings" had worsened the condition of families and said, "The BJP's double engine has turned into a trouble engine for the public."
UP Congress chief Ajay Rai also criticised the government, calling visuals from the protest sites "disturbing".
"When inflation is breaking people's backs, and workers are being exploited in the name of wages, the youth will be forced to come out on the streets," Rai said.
"Advertisements cannot fill empty stomachs. Tear gas shells cannot answer hunger. Stop ignoring the legitimate demands of workers and find a solution instead of resorting to repression," he added.
Amid the unrest, UP Police stepped up monitoring and warned of strict action against those behind the violence.
Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna said "provocative elements" and "external elements" are being identified.
"Firm legal action will follow once their identities are established," he said, adding that the situation is under constant surveillance from the police headquarters.
Police said adequate deployment has been made across industrial zones, with PAC, paramilitary forces and senior officers stationed at key locations.
Authorities reiterated that the situation is under control and efforts are underway to restore normalcy, while urging people not to believe rumours.
Noida Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh and District Magistrate Medha Roopam also inspected the violence spots, according to officials.
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