RAMALLAH, (PIC)
While the world commemorates the first of May in celebration of workers’ rights and achievements, the Palestinian worker stands on the sidelines of this scene, burdened by heavy losses and suffering that transcends the boundaries of work into a daily struggle for survival.
This day is no longer an occasion to demand improved working conditions for Palestinians, but has rather turned into a cry demanding the right to life, in light of a deteriorating reality since October 2023, where unemployment intersects with poverty and direct danger to life.
Figures reveal the scale of the disaster; the losses of Palestinian workers over two years were estimated at approximately 9 billion dollars, while unemployment rates rose to about 38%, as a result of approximately 550,000 workers being disrupted from work out of 1.4 million, according to a report by the Federation of Palestine Trade Unions at the beginning of 2026.
Disabled economic movement
In the Gaza Strip, the crisis has exceeded the limits of unemployment to an almost complete collapse of the working class. Factories no longer exist, and workshops do not operate after being affected by the war, bringing unemployment rates to more than 85%, according to 2026 data. With the decline in sources of income, daily losses are estimated at about 21.7 million dollars, pushing hundreds of thousands of workers to rely on aid.
The suffering did not stop at the loss of work, as targets reached workers and craftsmen even inside shelter centers, leading to the loss of a large portion of the expertise that previously formed the backbone of the local economy.
In the West Bank, the deterioration takes another form, where Israeli military checkpoints and frequent raids contribute to disrupting economic movement and dismantling supply chains. The unemployment rate rose to about 40%, amid a sharp decline in the gross domestic product, pushing thousands of families below the poverty line in the absence of effective protection umbrellas.
As for the Palestinian workers in the Green Line, their livelihood has become hostage to political restrictions after work permits were suspended for more than 200,000 workers since October 2023, depriving entire families of their basic source of income. In light of this, those who try to reach their work face the risks of arrest or gunfire.
The loss is not limited to the economy, but extends to lives; as the Federation of Palestine Trade Unions documented the martyrdom of 74 workers during 2025, their cases distributed between work sites and attempts to reach them, or during pursuit and arrest. Data indicates that dozens of workers have lost their lives since October 2023 while seeking to earn their living.
Genocide in Gaza and the West Bank deprived workers of their livelihood
In this context, the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, called on Friday, which coincides with International Workers’ Day, for a global solidarity movement with the Palestinian people, stressing that this day comes amid a systematic Israeli escalation against Palestinian workers in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
Hamas stressed in a press statement that International Workers’ Day this year returns in light of the continuation of the serious repercussions and the real tragedy left by the war of genocide and ethnic cleansing against the Gaza Strip for more than two full years.
It explained that the genocide in the Gaza Strip caused a lack of all elements of human life, the destruction of infrastructure, the spread of hunger and diseases, and the loss of Palestinian workers’ sources of livelihood with rising unemployment rates.
Cancellation of all events
On this occasion, the General Federation of Palestine Trade Unions announced the cancellation of all events scheduled for International Workers’ Day, in light of the worsening economic conditions and the rise of unemployment rates to unprecedented levels, as hundreds of thousands of workers are now without a source of income.
The Federation explained that the decision comes in light of “exceptional circumstances” experienced by Palestinian workers, noting that about 550,000 workers lost their jobs, while unemployment reached about 85% in the Gaza Strip and 38% in the West Bank.
It added that hundreds of thousands of workers have been deprived of reaching their workplaces since October 2023, which led to the depletion of their savings and the deterioration of their living conditions, at a time when violations continue, job opportunities decline, and the cost of living rises.
The world is a silent witness to injustice
In a related context, Addameer Foundation for Human Rights expressed its full solidarity with Palestinian workers on their International Day, and confirmed that the steadfastness of the working class represents a fundamental pillar in facing this disaster, and renewed its commitment to defending their economic and social rights, as they are an integral part of the human rights system.
The Foundation, in a statement on Friday, urged the international community to act urgently and effectively to pressure for an end to the war on the Gaza Strip, the end of all policies that lead to the destruction of the Palestinian economy, and to ensure the protection of economic and social rights, foremost of which is the right to work.
It also called for the adoption of a comprehensive and urgent economic recovery plan, focusing on the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, supporting small and medium productive projects, and providing emergency and sustainable employment programs that guarantee the dignity of workers.
Thus, the livelihood for Palestinians seems fraught with risks, while any effective global movement that limits these violations or provides real protection for workers is absent from the scene.
While “International Workers’ Day” carries historical symbolism for the struggle of workers for their rights since the Chicago strikes of 1886, the Palestinian worker lives a different reality, where this day turns into a harsh reminder of what they lost, and the daily challenges they face for the sake of survival.