West Bank Families Face Ruin as Israel Slashes Work Permits

West Bank barrier

The World Bank has warned that the West Bank economy is at risk of collapse because of Israel’s restrictions. By the end of last year, unemployment had surged to nearly 30% compared with around 12% before the war, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

Before the war, tens of thousands of Palestinians worked inside Israel, mainly in construction and service jobs.

Wages can be more than double those in the landlocked West Bank, where decades of Israeli checkpoints, land seizures and other restrictions have weighed heavily on the economy. Palestinians also blame the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in parts of the territory, for not doing enough to create jobs.

About 100,000 Palestinians had work permits that were revoked after the outbreak of the war. Israel has since reinstated fewer than 10,000, according to Gisha, an Israeli group advocating for Palestinian freedom of movement.

Wages earned in Israel injected some $4 billion into the Palestinian economy in 2022, according to the Institute for National Security Studies, an Israeli think tank. That’s equivalent to about two-thirds of the Palestinian Authority's budget that year.

An Israeli official said Palestinians do not have an inherent right to enter Israel, and that permits are subject to security considerations. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Israel seized the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, territories the Palestinians want for a future state. Some 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank, along with over 500,000 Israeli settlers who can come and go freely.

The war in Gaza has brought a spike in Palestinian attacks on Israelis as well as settler violence. Military operations that Israel says are aimed at dismantling militant groups have caused heavy damage in the West Bank and displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians.

‘My refrigerator, it’s empty’

After her husband left her five years ago, Abu Zant secured a job at a food-packing plant in Israel that paid around $1,400 a month, enough to support her four children. When the war erupted, she thought the ban would only last a few months. She baked pastries for friends to scrape by.

Hasan Joma, who ran a business in Tulkarem before the war helping people find work in Israel, said Palestinian brokers are charging more than triple the price for a permit.

While there are no definite figures, tens of thousands of Palestinians are believed to be working illegally in Israel, according to Esteban Klor, professor of economics at Israel's Hebrew University and a senior researcher at the INSS. Some risk their lives trying to cross Israel’s separation barrier, which consists of 9-meter high (30-foot) concrete walls, fences and closed military roads.

Shuhrat Barghouthi’s husband has spent five months in prison for trying to climb the barrier to enter Israel for work, she said. Before the war, the couple worked in Israel earning a combined $5,700 a month. Now they are both unemployed and around $14,000 in debt.

“Come and see my refrigerator, it’s empty, there’s nothing to feed my children,” she said. She can’t afford to heat her apartment, where she hasn’t paid rent in two years. She says her children are often sick and frequently go to bed hungry.

Sometimes she returns home to see her belongings strewn in the street by the landlord, who has been trying to evict them.

Forced to work in settlements

Of the roughly 48,000 Palestinians who worked in Israeli settlements before the war, more than 65% have kept their permits, according to Gisha. The Palestinians and most of the international community view the settlements, which have rapidly expanded in recent years, as illegal.

Israeli officials did not respond to questions about why more Palestinians are permitted to work in the settlements.

Palestinians employed in the settlements, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, say their employers have beefed up security since the start of the war and are far more willing to fire anyone stepping out of line, knowing there are plenty more desperate for work.

Two Palestinians working in the Mishor Adumim settlement said security guards look through workers’ phones and revoke their permits arbitrarily.

Israelis have turned to foreign workers to fill jobs held by Palestinians, but some say it’s a poor substitute because they cost more and do not know the language. Palestinians speak Arabic, but those who work in Israel are often fluent in Hebrew.

Raphael Dadush, an Israeli developer, said the permit crackdown has resulted in costly delays.

Before the war, Palestinians made up more than half his workforce. He’s tried to replace them with Chinese workers but says it’s not exactly the same. He understands the government’s decision, but says it’s time to find a way for Palestinians to return that ensures Israel’s security.

Assaf Adiv, the executive director of an Israeli group advocating for Palestinian labor rights, says there has to be some economic integration or there will be “chaos.”

“The alternative to work in Israel is starvation and desperation,” he said.

Palestinians in the West Bank struggle to get by as Israel severely limits work permits

3 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Either all "Land Grabs" are illegal or none are. If the former, say goodbye to your own country.

If that commenter was American, back in the day, the Geneva Conventions did not exist, besides which the US government made contracts with various tribes to legalize the land grabs. Israel, created by the General Assembly, was supposed to take back the expelled Palestinians or compensate them. What it has been doing since 1967 is totally illegal, as the ICJ has decided.

3 hours ago, liddelljohn said:

israel is the only Country holding back the tide of cancerous fundemental islam that even eats its own people whilst enabling thugs, killers, despots , terror and exploitation of any population it controls to enrich its leaders ,,,,No different to USSR under stalin or Germany under the NAZi's

Ask yourself why NO ARAB COUNTY WANTS TO HELP GAZA ,,,,

Many countries would like to help Gaza, but the Board of Peace and Israel make it impossible since cooperation, read collaboration, means financing the Trump Riviera, a real estate deal not for the benefit of Palestinians. Until Trump (if ever) orders Israel out of the Philadelphia Corridor between Egypt and Gaza, the aid needed cannot flow and the people cannot go out and come back in.

There's absolutely no salvaging it. Nevertheless, the Israelis and world Jews continue to double and triple down on speech, etc which only further hardens opinions.

It's a mess and it's a genocide and there's just no getting around that.

IDF numbers have put the deaths over 70k. They're willingly accept that number because the real number is actually 20% higher.

Meanwhile, Hamas the terrorist organization in which the Israelis actually created still exists.

I find it absolutely unconscionable and unforgivable.

23 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Bibi' has done more for world peace than anyone in history as I see it' thousands of filthy terrorist eliminated and a lot more to go stick world opinion where the sun don't shine and keep up the good work 🤔

Does Bibi cry out in pain as he strikes them? I think not. That's the propaganda arm of the movement. I'd much rather read this kind of post than the perpetual whining and victimhood narrative that is put forth by other posters. The few Israelis I've known were not weak and didn't take crap from Arabs.

The rest of the world will do nothing because the consequences of having their banking and financial systems collapsed would cause chaos in their own lands and Israel would be just fine.

10 minutes ago, Nurf said:

Meanwhile, Hamas the terrorist organization in which the Israelis actually created still exists.

Same old lie gets repeated over and over again .

Isreal didn't create Hamas

7 hours ago, Cory1848 said:

I think it’s entirely possible to acknowledge that, while Israel has every right to defend its security and while Hamas is the worst sort of terrorist organization, Israel’s response to Hamas’s 2023 attack has mostly victimized (and killed) innocent Palestinian civilians, and its ongoing appropriation of land in the West Bank is illegal and wrong. Both Israelis and Palestinian Arabs deserve progressive leadership that honestly seeks peace and accommodation.

You mean the innocent Palestinians who voted Hamas into power and cheered and spat when the hostages dead and alive were paraded through Gaza?

2 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Try being at a music festival on the 7th of October 2023 for starters🤔

You think that justifies genocide on innocent people? Does it justify the thousands of children who have been murdered?

No wonder we have unlimited and neverending hate and wars in this world.

1 hour ago, WDSmart said:

Global opinion is turning against Israel because people are learning more about just what it is Israel is doing, and has been doing for the past 70 years. 😡

Correct. It can't be hidden anymore.

54 minutes ago, placnx said:

If that commenter was American, back in the day, the Geneva Conventions did not exist, besides which the US government made contracts with various tribes to legalize the land grabs. Israel, created by the General Assembly, was supposed to take back the expelled Palestinians or compensate them. What it has been doing since 1967 is totally illegal, as the ICJ has decided.

The UN and the ICJ mean nothing.

On 2/9/2026 at 5:09 PM, sammieuk1 said:

Bibi' has done more for world peace than anyone in history

If world peace were defined by genocide then he would be tied with Putin.

24 minutes ago, thaibreaker said:

You think that justifies genocide on innocent people? Does it justify the thousands of children who have been murdered?

No wonder we have unlimited and neverending hate and wars in this world.

Woman and children get killed in ALL wars .

The Gaza war is no different to every other war in the World

36 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

If world peace were defined by genocide then he would be tied with Putin.

If this is genocide, Israel is really bad at genocide. I believe individuals like you are making the term meaningless.

1 hour ago, boloaf said:

You mean the innocent Palestinians who voted Hamas into power and cheered and spat when the hostages dead and alive were paraded through Gaza?

Gaza is filled with classy people who would spit the posters supporting them.

2 minutes ago, Effective altruism said:

If this is genocide, Israel is really bad at genocide. I believe individuals like you are making the term meaningless.

They just use the term 'genocide" to try to appear to be on the right side of history.

The truth is that THEY support the genocide of Israel .

The chant genocidal slogans (From the river to the sea)whislt accusing Israel of genocide .

We are not fooled by their nonsense

Just now, Nick Carter icp said:

They just use the term 'genocide" to try to appear to be on the right side of history.

They emote without considering the deeper meaning behind the narrative they are instructed to repeat on command.

1 hour ago, Nick Carter icp said:

Same old lie gets repeated over and over again .

Isreal didn't create Hamas

In a sense you are correct.

Israel did not create Hamas.

Backed and funded Hamas, yes, but created Hamas, no.

47 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

Woman and children get killed in ALL wars .

The Gaza war is no different to every other war in the World

Women and children are not targeted in all wars.

And in other wars when soldiers have targeted civilians they face court-martial and other criminal prosecution.

8 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

They just use the term 'genocide" to try to appear to be on the right side of history.

The truth is that THEY support the genocide of Israel .

The chant genocidal slogans (From the river to the sea)whislt accusing Israel of genocide .

We are not fooled by their nonsense

No, the term genocide is used because Israel have engaged in genocide.

4 hours ago, thaibreaker said:

How anyone can defend Israel's genocide against the Palestinians, is beyond me.

Easy. It isnt a genocide.

3 hours ago, WDSmart said:

Global opinion is turning against Israel because people are learning more about just what it is Israel is doing, and has been doing for the past 70 years. 😡

Yeah, defending themselves from genocidal anti-semites.

Here is the drug addicted former rent boy coward with the Mufti. Dont forget all the National Socialists who fled to the Muslim world

3 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Women and children are not targeted in all wars.

Tell that to the civilians of Dresden, Hiroshima, London, Joburg, Hanoi, Lenningrad, and so many others. You start wars, you risk it all.

9 minutes ago, Effective altruism said:

They emote without considering the deeper meaning behind the narrative they are instructed to repeat on command.

Notice how these topics draw less and less attention as the usual crowd goes back to focusing on Trump

1 minute ago, Yagoda said:

Easy. It isnt a genocide.

Yeah, defending themselves from genocidal anti-semites.

Here is the drug addicted former rent boy coward with the Mufti. Dont forget all the National Socialists who fled to the Muslim world

Always the victim, never to blame, whataboutism as its finest. Israel has and continues to use genocide as an excuse and a weapon

7 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Tell that to the civilians of Dresden, Hiroshima, London, Joburg, Hanoi, Lenningrad, and so many others. You start wars, you risk it all.

as the saying goes .... " One of ours. all of yours "

13 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Women and children are not targeted in all wars.

And in other wars when soldiers have targeted civilians they face court-martial and other criminal prosecution.

neither were woman and children targeted in this war

9 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Tell that to the civilians of Dresden, Hiroshima, London, Joburg, Hanoi, Lenningrad, and so many others. You start wars, you risk it all.

But but but whatabout…

The international convention on war crimes was enacted as a direct result of the obscene crimes of WW2, examples of which you have given.

17 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

In a sense you are correct.

Israel did not create Hamas.

Backed and funded Hamas, yes, but created Hamas, no.

Have you forgot since the last time I told you ?

Funded by Qatar , NOT funded by Israel .

BTW, heres the usual link if you want to post it up , save you looking for it

https://www.timesofisrael.com/for-years-netanyahu-propped-up-hamas-now-its-blown-up-in-our-faces/

4 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

neither were woman and children targeted in this war

Credible reports demonstrate that the be hogwash.

https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/tête-à-tête/20241029-us-doctor-claims-israeli-snipers-target-child-in-gaza-no-child-gets-shot-twice-by-mistake

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/02/gaza-palestinian-children-killed-idf-israel-war

14 minutes ago, MonoXimian said:

Always the victim, never to blame, whataboutism as its finest. Israel has and continues to use genocide as an excuse and a weapon

50 muslims

1 jew

You nazis just dont get it

4 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

Have you forgot since the last time I told you ?

Funded by Qatar , NOT funded by Israel .

BTW, heres the usual link if you want to post it up , save you looking for it

https://www.timesofisrael.com/for-years-netanyahu-propped-up-hamas-now-its-blown-up-in-our-faces/

From your linked article:

“For years, Netanyahu propped up Hamas. Now it’s blown up in our faces”