Minister: More Than 20,000 Indians Replaced Palestinian Workers Since War On Gaza Began
More than 20,000 Indian workers have moved to Israel to replace Palestinian workers since the war in Gaza began, the Indian government has revealed. Responding to a question posed in parliament earlier, Kirti Vardhan Singh, minister of state in the Ministry of External Affairs, said that between November 2023 and July 2025, at least 20,000 workers had made their way to Israel.
Singh noted that 6,730 construction workers and 44 caregivers had arrived under the bilateral framework agreement signed between the two countries in November 2023.
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Additionally, 7,000 others in the caregiving sector and 6,400 construction workers arrived through what he described as “private channels”.
The disclosure by the ministry is the most comprehensive and detailed account of the transfer of Indian workers to Israel and underscores how New Delhi continues to play a pivotal role in helping Israel sustain its economy, even as it faces growing calls for isolation in the international arena over its continued war in Gaza.
In Israel, the war effort has battered the country’s economy. The cancellation of the work permits of more than 70,000 Palestinians has also led to a labour shortage across several sectors.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, including more than 20,000 children, and has been recognised by several countries, as well as leading rights groups and experts, as an act of genocide.
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Notably, Israeli military intelligence data indicates that five out of six Palestinians killed by Israel’s army are civilians, according to a joint investigation.
That would indicate that 17 percent of the total deaths were of fighters, while the other 83 percent were civilian deaths. Moreover, the health ministry’s death toll likely underestimates the number of those killed by attacks, as it does not include thousands buried under the rubble.
