Israel sends Palestinian laborers back to their coastal enclave from the Gaza Strip

According to a Gaza border official, Israel started returning hundreds of Palestinian laborers to Gaza on Friday. These workers had been stuck within Israel since Israel’s conflict with Hamas broke out.

According to Hisham Adwan, the director of Gaza’s crossings authority, “thousands of workers who were blocked in Israel since October 7 have been brought back.” This was reported to AFP.

Groups of workers were seen entering via the Karem Abu Salem crossing, which is often solely used for goods, between Israel and southern Gaza in early Friday video from AFPTV.

Late on Thursday, Israel announced that it will begin sending the laborers back to Gaza.

Israel is cutting off all communication with Gaza. Palestinian laborers from Gaza will no longer be employed, the Israeli security cabinet said in a statement.

Without stating the exact number, it said, “Those Gazan workers who were in Israel on the day the war broke out will be returned to Gaza.”

About 18,500 Gazans had Israeli work licenses prior to the commencement of the conflict, based on data from COGAT, the Israeli defense organization in charge of Palestinian civilian affairs.

When asked how many Gazans were employed in Israel on October 7, when Hamas terrorists broke across the border and slaughtered at least 1,400 people—mostly civilians—Israeli authorities said that COGAT did not immediately reply.

According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, Israel launched a heavy bombing campaign in retaliation after the attack that has killed over 9,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians.