ISLAMABAD, Israel’s construction sector is reportedly in talks with the Indian government to recruit 100,000 Indian workers, aiming to fill the gap left by the cancellation of work permits for 90,000 Palestinian workers due to ongoing military actions in Gaza.

According to Kashmir media service, this development comes as Israel’s bombardment on Gaza, which commenced on October 7, has led to the martyrdom of more than 10,000 Palestinians, predominantly children and women. Haim Feiglin, the vice-president of the Israel Builders Association, was quoted by a Voice of America report stating, “Right now, we are negotiating with India. We are waiting for the decision of the Israeli government to approve that. And, we hope to engage 50,000 to 100,000 workers from India to be able to run the whole sector and bring it back to normal.” Palestinians reportedly constitute about 25% of the labor force in the Israeli construction industry.

The Israeli government’s decision is pending, as negotiations continue, signaling a potential shift in workforce demographics within the sector.