In a coordinated nighttime operation, Israeli authorities rescued ten foreign workers from India who had been held captive for over a month in A-Zaim, an Arab village near Jerusalem. The workers, who had arrived in Israel for employment in the construction industry, were stripped of their passports by their captors and left without the ability to leave the village or return to Jerusalem.
Workers Lured with Job Offers, Stripped of Passports
The workers had entered Israel legally with the expectation of securing jobs in construction. However, after being promised employment by a resident of A-Zaim, their passports were confiscated by their captors in the village, leaving them stranded. Without documentation, they apparently believed they were unable to leave the village or seek legal recourse. The authorities did not say under what physical conditions the men were being held.
According to information received by the Israeli Population and Immigration Authority, the workers’ passports were misused by the Arab residents attempting to bypass Israeli security checkpoints. Israeli forces eventually identified the individuals involved and recovered the stolen documents leading them to locate the kidnapped foreigners.
The authorities did not say if any of the Arabs trying to bypass security were involved in terrorism.
Complex Operation Ensures Safe Extraction
The rescue mission required coordination between the IDF, the Population and Immigration Authority’s Enforcement and Foreigners Administration, and the Israeli Ministry of Justice.
Under the cover of night, the workers were safely extracted from the village and transported them to a secure location.
The operation concluded successfully at 2:30 AM. Israeli authorities are now working to ensure the workers’ legal employment status is properly regulated.
Official Statement
The Population and Immigration Authority confirmed the details of the operation, stating [translated]:
The Enforcement and Foreigners Administration at the Population and Immigration Authority led a rescue operation last night for ten Indian workers who had come to Israel to work in the construction industry and were being held in the village of A-Za’im.
In a coordinated operation with the IDF and the Ministry of Justice, the ten workers were rescued from the village in the dead of night.”
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel said that his office will do everything to protect their rights and integrate them into the Israeli labor market
שר הפנים ארבל ביקר בדירת מקלט עשרה עובדים זרים מהודו – שחולצו הלילה לאחר שהובאו לכפר א זעיים ברשות הפלסטינית.
השר אמר שמשרדו יעשה הכול לשמור על זכויותיהם ושילובם בשוק העבודה בישראל, ושיבח את מינהל אכיפה וזרים ברשות האוכלוסין וההגירה וצה”ל שהובילו את החילוץ@Itsik_zuarets pic.twitter.com/PmWwOWo1RV— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 6, 2025
