Palestinian workers deprived of $373m in monthly earnings
Tens of thousands of Palestinian workers have over the last 17 months been deprived of their earnings, following the start of Gaza’s war, Middle East Eye via Wafa news agency reported on April 30th.
Secretary General of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions, Shaher Saad, said that estimated loss facing workers per month was about 1.35 billion shekels, which is roughly $373 million.
Saad said that the rate of unemployment in Palestine had seen a sharp increase since the conflict started in October 2023, as over half a million are out of work. Saad said that thousands of workers have been under detention and have faced abuse.
He stated Palestinian workers who lost their jobs in Israel after the Hamas-led assaults were forced to sell their belongings. Saad added that about 89% of Palestinian employees do not have any type of social protection or pension under Israel’s governance. He asserted that unemployment, deprivation, and food insecurity define International Workers’ Day in Palestine in 2025.
The New Arab via Reuters reported on February 19th, that the UN, EU, and World Bank released a revealing report containing damage assessments for Gaza’s recovery. They estimated that Gaza will need more than $50 billion to rebuild after 15 months of Israeli attacks.
The Interim Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (IRDNA) assessed reconstruction costs at $53.2 billion over the next decade. The report projects that the first three years of reparations will need approximately $20 billion.
The UN estimated that Israel has damaged or destroyed 69% of Gaza’s buildings. The IRDNA said that Israel has completely destroyed 292,000 housing units.
Middle East Eye via Wafa, The New Arab via Reuters
