Israel opens first prison for Palestinian workers, reclassifies them as security detainees

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has given the green light to establish a special, unique prison in Israel to detain Palestinian workers who remain in Israel without permits — also described as illegal migrants — who for the first time will be classified as “security detainees,” rather than “criminals” as previously practiced.

According to a plan presented by Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yakobi, work has already begun to prepare the new prison’s headquarters, and it is scheduled to open soon, Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Tuesday.

The paper said the stated aim of the project is to tighten the handling of Palestinians entering Israel to work to provide for their families, or what Israeli circles have described as the “infiltration” phenomenon, which the Israeli police and security services are paying increasing attention to.

According to the newspaper, the move to accelerate the plan to establish a prison for Palestinians staying in the country without permits was brought forward after the armed attack in Jerusalem weeks ago carried out by two people who entered Israeli territory illegally, which left six Israelis dead.

Official figures show Israeli police have inspected more than 665,000 vehicles since the start of the year, resulting in the detention of 542 Palestinians without permits, while 107 described as “illegal migrants” were shot during attempts to infiltrate across the border and areas of the separation barrier.

The Prison Service also noted that about 2,500 people, the vast majority Palestinians from the West Bank, are currently held in prisons classified as “criminals,” with expectations the number will rise significantly as a result of the new policy that imposes harsher penalties from the first offense.

During a Knesset discussion, representatives of the Prison Service and the National Security Ministry said the plan includes adding 3,500 new prison places by October 2026, alongside consideration of building another prison in the Sorek area in central Israel, while pressure continues to tighten monitoring and measures on the Egyptian border.

Israeli police continue to pursue Palestinian workers on charges of “residing without permits,” as well as targeting their employers inside the country. These policies make earning a living a daily nightmare for tens of thousands of Palestinian workers.

Although some hold official work permits, their daily journeys remain fraught with hardship and humiliation. Israel froze work permits for about 150,000 Palestinian workers after October 7, 2023.

The weak Palestinian economy in the West Bank and the lack of sufficient job opportunities, amid the Israeli war on Gaza, push tens of thousands of workers to seek employment inside Israel, where wages are much higher than in their home areas. Nevertheless, their lives turn into a daily chase as police continue intensive campaigns in Arab towns in the Galilee, the Triangle, the Negev and coastal cities, searching for workers from the West Bank or Gaza.

Under these pursuits, many workers are forced to sleep in harsh conditions — on the ground, in warehouses, in shelters or under trees — just to continue working and support their families. The result is a dual reality: scarce job opportunities and poverty in the West Bank and Gaza, and pursuit and suffering at checkpoints and inside Israel.