India Sends First Batch Of Construction Workers To Israel: Here's All You Need To Know

Amid the ongoing conflict in Israel, the first group of Indian construction workers bound for jobs in the country was flagged off on 2 April by Israeli ambassador Naor Gilon and government officials.

The move comes in response to an urgent request from the Israeli government for construction workers, aiming to address major labor shortages following a ban on thousands of Palestinian workers in the aftermath of terror strikes by Hamas.

The recruitment of the initial batch of 64 workers was conducted over the past few months through a large-scale drive in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

These workers are part of a larger workforce of 10,000 individuals requisitioned to be flown to Israel over the coming weeks, with batches scheduled to depart almost daily on both Air India and chartered flights, as revealed during a farewell event hosted by the Israeli Embassy.

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Contrary to previous indications of a business-to-business recruitment process, the Ministry of External Affairs clarified that these workers are traveling under a government-to-government arrangement, pursuant to the India-Israel mobility partnership signed in 2023.

Ambassador Gilon expressed optimism about the positive impact of this endeavor, stating, "This is an outcome of hard work by many, including NSDC India."

He said, "I am sure that the workers [will] become 'ambassadors' of the great [people to people] relations between India and Israel."

However, concerns over the safety of Indian labor persist, with the MEA previously issuing an advisory on the security situation in Israel.

Notably, the advisory urged Indian nationals, especially those working in border areas, to relocate to safer regions following a missile strike by Hezbollah militants.

Despite these concerns, the Indian government has emphasized that workers will enjoy equal treatment with respect to labor rights.

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