Israel seizes, deports 208 Palestinian workers

Date: 29 / 03 / 2009 Time: 15:22

[Ma'anImages]

Salfit – Ma’an – Israeli Border Police seized 208 West Bank Palestinians living without permits in Israel over the weekend and deported them to the Palestinian Authority.

According to Israeli officials, four Israeli employers, five drivers and two people who provided the Palestinians with housing were also arrested.

The Secretary-General of Palestinian Workers’ Public Union, Shaher Sa’d, condemned the arrests of the workers as a violation of international law. He also accused Israeli police of beating Palestinians during arrest raids.

The union said that it was aware of 30 workers who were arrested, interrogated, and sent back to the West Bank. The workers were originally from Jenin, Tulkarem, and Qalqiliya, and were detained in Haifa and Tel Aviv.