Israel accused of torturing Palestinian workers to death

Palestinian workers detained during the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023 were abused by Israeli prison guards, with some of them tortured to death or disappeared, according to testimonies collected by a Palestinian trade union.

Wehbe Badarneh, the legal advisor to the Arab Workers Union, told news outlet Arab48 that they had submitted an inquiry to Israeli security and military centres regarding the whereabout of 46 Palestinian workers from Gaza following their disappearance on 8 October 2023.

The Israel Prison Service gave the Palestinian union a vague response confirming the deaths of 34 workers who died inside detention centres under "mysterious circumstances or from heart attacks".

Badarneh explained that until 7 October 2023, 18,000 Palestinians from Gaza were in Israel with work permits.

However, after the attack, the Israeli authorities withdrew work authorisations for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

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