Palestinian Authority Denounces Israeli Act on Palestinian Workers' Dues

Palestinian laborers work at a construction site in the Israeli settlement of Kerem Reim in the West Bank in July 2019. (Getty)
Palestinian laborers work at a construction site in the Israeli settlement of Kerem Reim in the West Bank in July 2019. (Getty)
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Palestinian Authority Denounces Israeli Act on Palestinian Workers' Dues

Palestinian laborers work at a construction site in the Israeli settlement of Kerem Reim in the West Bank in July 2019. (Getty)
Palestinian laborers work at a construction site in the Israeli settlement of Kerem Reim in the West Bank in July 2019. (Getty)

The Palestinian Labor Ministry on Thursday condemned Israel’s unilateral decision to transfer all pension savings of Palestinian workers employed in Israel to an Israeli company named Amitim.

“These unilateral measures are an explicit and clear violation of Israel’s obligation to transfer these pension funds to the competent Palestinian institutions under the Paris Protocol, and a flagrant violation of it,” the Ministry affirmed in a statement.

The Paris Protocol is the economic supplement of the Oslo Accord between the government of Palestine and Israel in order to determine the nature of economic relationship between the two sides.

Meanwhile, the German news agency, dpa, said the Palestinian workers’ pension savings is an exclusive right.

It said Israel’s illegal measures aim to encourage workers to early withdraw their funds, which will cause them significant financial losses.

The news agency added that this measure also aims to harm workers and deprive them of their right to benefit from future retirement benefits.

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the number of workers in Israel and the settlements in the year 2022 reached about 193,000 workers, of whom 29,000 work in the Israeli settlements.

PCBS said the percentage of workers in Israel and the settlements who obtained work permits reached 58.6%, while the percentage of workers without work permits was about 20.7%, and for those who have a foreign passport, the percentage reached 20.7%.



US Launches Airstrikes by Fighter Jets and Ships on Yemen’s Iran-Backed Houthis

 Smoke rises from the site of strikes in Sanaa, Yemen October 4, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke rises from the site of strikes in Sanaa, Yemen October 4, 2024. (Reuters)
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US Launches Airstrikes by Fighter Jets and Ships on Yemen’s Iran-Backed Houthis

 Smoke rises from the site of strikes in Sanaa, Yemen October 4, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke rises from the site of strikes in Sanaa, Yemen October 4, 2024. (Reuters)

The US military struck more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, going after weapons systems, bases and other equipment belonging to the Iranian-backed militias, US officials confirmed.

Military aircraft and warships bombed Houthi strongholds at roughly five locations, according to the officials.

Houthi media said seven strikes hit the airport in Hodeidah, a major port city, and the Katheib area, which has a Houthi-controlled military base. Four more strikes hit the Seiyana area in Sanaa, the capital, and two strikes hit the Dhamar province. The Houthi media office also reported three air raids in Bayda province, southeast of Sanaa.

The strikes come just days after the Houthis threatened “escalating military operations” targeting Israel after they apparently shot down a US military drone flying over Yemen. And just last week, the Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack targeting American warships.

The militias fired more than a half dozen ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles and two drones at three US ships that were traveling through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, but all were intercepted by the Navy destroyers, according to several US officials.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet publicly released.

Houthis have targeted more than 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza started last October. They have seized one vessel and sunk two in the campaign that has also killed four sailors.

Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have included Western military vessels.

The Houthis have maintained that they target ships linked to Israel, the US or the United Kingdom to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.