[News] Palestinian workers return to Gaza after expulsion from Israel

[FRIDAY THE 13]

Crowds of workers from Gaza have been returning to the Palestinian territory after Israel expelled thousands of them and vowed to refuse any new permits. Gaza is facing constant bombardment and acute shortages of key supplies. The UN voiced its concerns for the workers' safety in the "incredibly difficult and dangerous situation". Before the war, more than 18,000 Palestinian workers were allowed to cross from Gaza into Israel and the occupied West Bank. Israel suspects Hamas, which runs Gaza, may have got information about the places it attacked on 7 October from Gazans working on the kibbutzes. Israeli media reports quote intelligence sources who suggest that the layouts of individual homes in these communities - and the proximity of Israeli defences - were among details that might have been passed on. The unprecedented assault on southern Israel by Hamas almost four weeks ago killed more than 1,400 people. The Israeli military says that 242 others were abducted and are being held hostage in Gaza. In the wake of the attack, Israel launched an aerial campaign campaign and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian enclave. The Gazan health ministry, run by Hamas, says more than 9,000 people have been killed. The crossings to Gaza were also closed as Israel stepped up its blockade, which has left Palestinian labourers stranded in Israel for weeks.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67306903