Israeli immigration officials rescued 10 Indian construction workers who were held in az-Za’ayyem, a village near Jerusalem under the control of the Palestinian Authority.
The workers, brought to Israel for construction jobs, were lured into the village with false promises of employment, after which their passports were confiscated, the Population and Immigration Authority reported on Thursday. Stranded for more than a month without work or a way to return to an area under Israeli control, they were unable to leave.
Palestinian residents allegedly used the stolen passports to cross IDF checkpoints. Israeli forces intercepted suspects at a checkpoint, leading to the workers’ rescue.
The Population and Immigration Authority led the rescue operation in coordination with the Israel Defense Forces and the Justice Ministry.
“Following a complex coordination effort, the workers were rescued from the village overnight and were transferred at 2:30 a.m. by representatives of the Enforcement and Foreigners Administration to a safe location, pending the legal arrangement of their employment,” the Population and Immigration Authority said.