Two men killed in separate work accidents

Two men were killed on Monday in separate workplace accidents, one in Arraba in the Lower Galilee and the other in Kiryat Gat in southern Israel.

In Arraba, a 46-year old resident of the Gaza Strip fell from the third floor of a construction site, with medical officials reporting that he was declared dead at the scene.

In Kiryat Gat, a 30-year old factory worker was electrocuted.  He too was declared dead at the scene after resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.

Construction and work site accidents are common in Israel, with watchdog groups complaining of little oversight and dangerous working conditions.

In a recent report, Kav LaOved, an Israeli nonprofit association that advocates for workers’ rights, said that more than 40 workers died in workplace accidents in Israel during the first half of 2023, representing a 40 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

The report said that nearly half of those fatalities were in the construction industry.

The organization said the construction industry is statistically the most dangerous job sector in Israel. Prosecutions are rare in cases of negligence leading to workplace deaths.