Israel to bring in 65,000 foreign building workers to replace Palestinians

Israel’s government says it will bring in 65,000 foreign workers from India, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan to resume construction stalled since October 7, when Palestinian workers were sent home in the wake of the deadly attack on Israel by Hamas.

Some 72,000 Palestinian workers were employed on construction sites in Israel prior to the attack, which prompted the government to lay them off and exclude them from Israel for security reasons.

Some 20,000 foreign workers remain but almost half the country’s building sites have been closed down due to the labor shortage.

A housing ministry spokesperson says new groups of foreign workers are expected to arrive in coming weeks, as the government seeks to avoid a blockage in supply that would risk reigniting real estate prices as interest rates start to fall.