The Jerusalem Governorate reported Tuesday that thirty‑nine Palestinian workers have been shot by Israeli occupation forces near the Annexation Wall in the occupied West Bank since the beginning of 2026.
In its statement, the governorate said the daily journey to earn a living has become a path marked by death, injury, abduction, and exploitation for thousands of Palestinian workers under ongoing Israeli occupation measures.
The latest incident occurred Monday night when a worker from the town of Rummana, northwest of Jenin, was shot in both legs by Israeli soldiers near the apartheid wall in Ar‑Ram, north of occupied Jerusalem. He was transferred to the Palestine Medical Complex, where his condition was described as stable.
The governorate added that two workers have been killed by Israeli fire near the wall north of Jerusalem since the start of the year.
On May 12, 2026, Zakaria Ali Mohammad Qaddis, 44, was shot dead near the wall in Ar‑Ram, allegedly while trying to reach his workplace. On May 31, 2026, Emad Haroun Shtayyeh, 26, from the village of Salem east of Nablus, succumbed to wounds sustained after being shot in the thigh near the same area.
During 2025, seven Palestinian workers were killed near the apartheid wall in Ar‑Ram, either by direct gunfire, fatal beatings, or falls from the wall while being chased by Israeli forces.
The governorate also highlighted the exploitation of workers by networks of brokers and intermediaries who charge large sums of money for promises to transport them through dangerous bypass routes. Many of these attempts end in injury, death, abduction, or theft.
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have intensified their targeting of Palestinian workers. According to the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions, more than 35,000 workers have been abducted or pursued, and over 52 have been killed while trying to secure their livelihoods.
