507,000 unemployed Palestinians in the West Bank, union reports

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been left with no income over the past 17 months, while thousands of others have lost their lives trying to earn a living in the occupied territories, the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions said yesterday.

In a message ahead of International Workers’ Day, which falls today, Secretary-General of the union, Shaher Saad, warned of a dramatic rise in unemployment across Palestinian society, reporting that the total number of unemployed persons has now reached 507,000.

“Thousands of workers have been arrested, tortured, subjected to forced disappearance, and fined by the Israeli occupation army for no reason other than their pursuit of a livelihood, especially after 7 October 2023,” Saad added.

As a result of the economic woes they face, many Palestinians have been forced to sell personal belongings to secure some form of income, the official added.

“Some 89 per cent of Palestinian workers lack access to social protection or pension funds,” he explained, describing unemployment, poverty and hunger as the key features marking this year’s Workers’ Day in Palestine. He estimated the total monthly losses faced by Palestinian workers to be 1.35 billion shekels (approximately $372.5 million).

According to the statement, 18 Palestinian workers have died since the beginning of 2025 up to 30 April, including three who were killed by Israeli occupation forces while commuting to or from their place of work, and another who fell from the fifth floor of a building in Jerusalem after occupation forces stormed the site where he was employed.

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