Many Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are struggling to get by after losing their permits to work inside Israel. Israel revoked around 100,000 permits after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack ignited the war in the Gaza Strip. Confined to the West Bank, where jobs are scarce and wages far lower, some Palestinians have sold their belongings or gone into debt. Others have paid steep fees for black-market permits or tried to sneak into Israel, risking arrest or worse. Israel, which has controlled the West Bank for nearly six decades, says it is under no obligation to allow Palestinians to enter for work and says it revoked the permits because of security considerations.
