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Thousands of Indians Eye Job Opportunities in Israel Amid Ongoing War

An Indian worker shows his passport and the application he filled out to work in Israel in Lucknow on January 25, 2024. (AFP)
An Indian worker shows his passport and the application he filled out to work in Israel in Lucknow on January 25, 2024. (AFP)
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Thousands of Indians Eye Job Opportunities in Israel Amid Ongoing War

An Indian worker shows his passport and the application he filled out to work in Israel in Lucknow on January 25, 2024. (AFP)
An Indian worker shows his passport and the application he filled out to work in Israel in Lucknow on January 25, 2024. (AFP)

Indians queuing in long lines for jobs in Israel as the war with Hamas grinds on say the risks to their safety are preferable to hunger at home.

Indian tile designer Deepak Kumar said it was a matter of "work for four days, eat for two days."

Kumar said he followed the news and knew the risks.

"I will smile and take a bullet -- but will take 150,000 rupees (1,700 euros)", he added.

While India is the world's fifth-largest economy and one of the fastest growing, it has struggled to produce enough full-time and well-paying jobs for millions of people.

Over the same period, nearly 22 percent of India's workforce was classified as "casual labor," with average monthly wages of a paltry 7,899 rupees (88 euros), according to government figures.

For the hundreds of Indians in line, almost all men, the chance of a skilled construction job in Israel -- and wages up to 18 times higher -- outweighs their fears.

"If it is written in our fate to die, we'll die there -- at least our kids will get something," said motorbike mechanic Jabbar Singh, among the packed crowd at a training center and recruitment site in Lucknow.

10,000 workers

The Indian embassy in Tel Aviv says there are about 18,000 Indian citizens in Israel, "primarily caregivers" looking after the elderly, as well as others employed as diamond traders and IT professionals. Some are students.

But recruiters have launched a fresh drive for job seekers.

Raj Kumar Yadav, head of Lucknow's Industrial Training Institute, said they were facilitating recruiters from Israel looking for 10,000 skilled construction workers who could earn as much as 140,000 rupees (1,550 euros) a month.

"They will give them the visa and take the people with them on a chartered plane," he said, adding that "10,000 families will be fed well and will grow".

The Indian authority supports the program, he noted.

As the men queued in Lucknow, about 4,500 kilometers away, Israel stepped up its assault in the Gazan city of Khan Yunis, southern the Gaza Strip.

Thai and Nepali farm workers were among those killed and taken hostage in the war that has been ongoing since October 7.

That provoked fear among foreign workers, many of whom fled, stripping the farm sector of a key source of labor.

Israel has also withdrawn 130,000 work permits from Palestinians.

"There is no work here, so I will have to work somewhere," father of two Keshav Das told AFP. "I know I am going in the red zone. But I have to feed my family, so I will have to go out. Otherwise, my kids will die hungry."

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Arab World

Egypt Seeks Regional, International Support for Political Solution in Sudan

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi meets with Sudanese Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in New Alamein. (Egyptian Presidency) 
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi meets with Sudanese Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in New Alamein. (Egyptian Presidency) 
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Egypt Seeks Regional, International Support for Political Solution in Sudan

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi meets with Sudanese Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in New Alamein. (Egyptian Presidency) 
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi meets with Sudanese Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in New Alamein. (Egyptian Presidency) 

Egypt is seeking stronger regional and international efforts to advance a political solution to the war in Sudan, saying an end to the conflict is essential to easing the suffering of the Sudanese people and restoring stability.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi reiterated that position during talks with General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, on the sidelines of the 8th African Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting.

Al-Sisi stressed the need to “exert all efforts at the regional and international levels to advance a political solution to the internal war,” while reaffirming his country’s longstanding support for Sudan and its people, according to the Egyptian presidency.

Since fighting erupted in mid-April 2023, Cairo has backed Sudan’s legitimate state institutions, foremost among them the army, while pressing for an end to the war and an inclusive political process bringing together the various components of Sudanese society.

During the meeting, al-Sisi pledged to continue Egypt’s regional and international efforts to promote a political settlement that could end the fighting and alleviate the humanitarian crisis. Such a solution, he noted, would allow Sudan to regain security and stability and begin the process of reconstruction and development.

Egypt has been involved in several diplomatic initiatives since the war began. It backed the Jeddah talks between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and, in July 2023, hosted a summit of Sudan’s neighboring countries aimed at advancing political solutions to the crisis.

A year later, Cairo hosted Sudanese political forces for talks aimed at developing a road map for an intra-Sudanese dialogue and overcoming the country’s internal divisions.

Al-Burhan, for his part, praised Egypt’s support for Sudan, including its political and humanitarian assistance and its hosting of large numbers of Sudanese forced to flee the war.

About 1.2 million Sudanese have fled to Egyptian cities because of the conflict, according to official figures, joining thousands of others who had already been living in the country for years.

Turning to prospects for a political settlement, al-Burhan stressed that Sudan’s legitimate state institutions should not be equated with “rebel militias or parallel entities,” and praised Egypt’s “clear and consistent” position on the issue.

Egypt considers the RSF an “armed militia” and has repeatedly rejected accusations that it is intervening in Sudan’s internal conflict.

The talks also covered bilateral ties, with al-Sisi reaffirming Egypt’s commitment to supporting Sudanese citizens in various fields and expanding cooperation between the two countries to serve their shared interests and development goals.

Cooperation on Sudan’s eventual reconstruction has also featured in recent bilateral discussions.

A joint statement issued after talks between Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and his Sudanese counterpart Kamil Idris in February said Cairo had welcomed Khartoum’s request to draw on Egyptian expertise in establishing a new administrative city.

The project would be modeled on Egypt’s experience in the field and form part of efforts to support Sudan’s reconstruction, the statement said.

 

 

 

 

Arab World

Israeli Army Takes Logistical Steps to Entrench Presence in South Lebanon

Israeli soldiers on an operational mission in a village in South Lebanon (Israeli military) 
Israeli soldiers on an operational mission in a village in South Lebanon (Israeli military) 
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Israeli Army Takes Logistical Steps to Entrench Presence in South Lebanon

Israeli soldiers on an operational mission in a village in South Lebanon (Israeli military) 
Israeli soldiers on an operational mission in a village in South Lebanon (Israeli military) 

The Israeli army is taking logistical steps to prepare for a prolonged presence in South Lebanon, fortifying positions and improving road networks while expanding scorched areas north of what it calls the “Yellow Line.”

Israeli strikes have also extended deeper into Lebanon, reaching Wadi Zibqin in the western sector and the vicinity of Mayfadoun in the east, in what local sources described as an expansion of depopulated areas through gunfire, artillery shelling, airstrikes and drone activity.

The expansion comes amid operational challenges reported by Israeli media, particularly fiber-optic-guided explosive drones. Ynet reported that the Israeli military has yet to find a comprehensive solution to the threat and is testing various systems, focusing on protection, early detection and warning.

Long-term preparations

The measures offer no indication that Israeli forces intend to withdraw from South Lebanon in the foreseeable future.

Ynet reported that the military was fortifying positions and improving access roads even after the 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade completed its mission and handed over its positions to replacement forces.

The brigade completed about 100 days of mobilization, including 80 days of operations in Lebanon, concentrated between the border and what the Israeli military calls the “Yellow Line,” reaching depths of about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles).

Forces from the Bislamach Brigade and the Gefen Battalion of the officers’ course are replacing the 55th Brigade, conducting drills and improving positions that provide observation and fire control over areas farther inside Lebanon.

Israeli security officials cited by Ynet indicated that troops would spend the winter in protected compounds inside villages. Buildings were equipped over the summer with generators, air conditioning, and sanitary facilities, while access routes were prepared in advance.

The report also cited concerns that limiting operations to securing the deployment line could erode readiness and increase the risk of attacks on Israeli forces in South Lebanon.

Second line of villages

Alongside fixed military positions established by the Israeli army since May, now numbering 17, according to southern Lebanese security sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat, Israeli forces are expanding their fire zone toward a second line of villages bordering the “Yellow Line,” with the aim of turning them into depopulated, hazardous areas.

Local sources reported intensified gunfire and artillery shelling in recent days, accompanied by persistent drone flights. The attacks have reached the outskirts of Wadi Zibqin and Mayfadoun, southeast of Nabatieh, where residents remain, and some displaced people have returned over the past three months.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported an Israeli airstrike on Kfar Tibnit after artillery shelling between Arnoun and Kfar Tibnit. Israeli artillery also struck near the public school in Mayfadoun and Dawhat Kfar Roummane, as well as the outskirts of Haris and Haddatha.

A Merkava tank fired several shells at Houla, while Israeli fire targeted the outskirts of Shaqra and Kounine woodland. A series of strikes hit Kfar Tibnit and Wadi al-Hujair, with explosions heard in Sidon and surrounding areas.

In the western sector, Israeli artillery intermittently shelled Mansouri from Bayyada and Tayr Harfa, south of Tyre, with fire extending to Wadi Hassan near Majdal Zoun. Israeli forces also carried out a powerful explosion in Mansouri that was heard as far as Mount Lebanon, following another blast near Baraachit in the Bint Jbeil district. A suspicious object left from previous Israeli attacks also exploded on the outskirts of Srifa.

Soldiers injured

Separately, the Israeli military announced Sunday that a soldier was seriously wounded and an officer moderately injured Friday in Majdal Zoun after a grenade was improperly thrown.

Eight other Israeli soldiers were injured Friday in a separate incident in South Lebanon involving a collision between two vehicles.

 

 

Arab World

Yemeni Army Continues Strikes Against Houthis

Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Majid Al-Nazili (SABA)
Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Majid Al-Nazili (SABA)
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Yemeni Army Continues Strikes Against Houthis

Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Majid Al-Nazili (SABA)
Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Majid Al-Nazili (SABA)

Yemeni army spokesman Colonel Majid Al-Nazili said the Yemeni armed forces carried out 1,122 operations targeting the Houthi militias as part of a campaign to “liberate” the country, restore state institutions and end the Houthi coup.

In a statement posted on X he said that the armed forces were “continuing military operations across various fronts and battlefields in line with approved plans.”

He added that the Yemeni army carried out 1,122 precision strikes against Houthi targets, including weapons positions, fortifications, supply routes, reinforcements and command-and-control centers, across the Saada, Jawf, Taiz and coastal fronts.

He said the strikes involved fighter jets, drones, artillery, missiles, rocket launchers and snipers.

According to field figures, the operations resulted in the neutralization of 1,747 militia members and the destruction or disabling of 364 military vehicles, equipment, and transport and supply assets.

He said the armed forces would continue military operations to liberate state territory, restore state institutions, assert national sovereignty, and fulfil their assigned missions.