RAMALLAH, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Israeli occupation authorities on Monday barred an international trade union delegation from entering the occupied Palestinian territories, preventing it from documenting violations against Palestinian workers, as the United Nations welcomed the reopening of the Rafah crossing and called for expanded humanitarian access to Gaza.
Shaher Saad, secretary general of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions, said Israel denied entry to a delegation from the International Federation of Building and Wood Workers, made up of nine senior union leaders headed by its secretary general, Ambet Yuson. The delegation was held for 10 hours at the King Hussein Bridge before being turned back.
Saad condemned the move as collective punishment aimed at obstructing international efforts to expose the conditions faced by Palestinian workers.
He said the federation represents nearly 30 million workers worldwide and was seeking to document Israeli violations and support a case filed by international unions at the International Labor Organization demanding compensation for around 200,000 Palestinian workers directly affected by Israeli policies.
According to Saad, the delegation’s planned visit included meetings with affected workers, tours of refugee camps in Tulkarem, and the receipt of official lists documenting 47 Palestinian workers killed by Israel, described as “martyrs of livelihood”, as well as the arrest of more than 35,000 workers while attempting to reach their workplaces since October 7, 2023.
He said the ban reflects Israel’s continued efforts to conceal grave abuses against Palestinian workers, including mass job loss, arrests, and denial of basic labor and human rights, and called on the international community, the International Labor Organization, and global trade unions to intervene.
