The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Monday evening kidnaped five Palestinian workmen near at-Tur town in the west of Jenin city north of the West Bank.
Local sources told a reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that the IOF kidnaped the five citizens during their attempt to cross into the 1948 occupied lands (Israel) through an opening in the fence near at-Tur town.
They added that soldiers bundled them into a military vehicle and drove off.
Before the coronavirus spread in Israel hundreds of Palestinians from the West Bank used to enter Israel every day for work through dozens of manmade openings in the separation barrier or fence.
According to Israeli human rights group B’Tselem many Palestinian workmen have no choice but to risk entering without a permit.
“They are caught between a rock and hard place: On one hand Israel issues permits sparingly based on arbitrarily chosen stringent criteria. On the other hand it prevents the development of an independent Palestinian economy by restricting imports exports industrial development and movement and by taking over land reserves and other Palestinian resources. This leaves Palestinians with no possibility to make a substantial living within the West Bank. This reality serves Israeli interests as it guarantees cheap [and] disempowered labor” B’Tselem says.
