Israel Plans to Bring in 65,000 Foreign Workers to Replace Palestinians

The Israeli government announced today (Sunday) that it will bring in 65,000 workers from India, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan to resume halted construction work after it expelled Palestinian laborers following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. Before the attack, around 72,000 Palestinian workers were employed at construction sites in Israel, prompting the government to dismiss and exclude them for security reasons. There are still about 20,000 foreign workers in Israel, but nearly half of the construction sites have closed due to labor shortages. An Israeli Housing Ministry spokesperson stated that new groups of foreign workers are expected to arrive in the coming weeks, as the government aims to avoid a shortage of housing units that could lead to increased property prices as interest rates begin to decrease.