Rauf, who didn’t want his last name used to protect his identity, had his permit revoked when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, as with the other approximately 115,000 Palestinians from the West Bank who also held work permits. Nearly two years into the war, only about 8,000 permits have been reinstated.

HEBRON, West Bank—Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, Rauf, a Palestinian construction worker from the West Bank, has only returned to his job in Israel once, in July 2024. After climbing over the Israeli-built wall separating the West Bank and Israel, Rauf was caught by Israeli police during a raid at his employer’s construction site and jailed for 38 days for entering without a permit. Now back in the West Bank, he’s banned from Israel until 2027.

HEBRON, West Bank—Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, Rauf, a Palestinian construction worker from the West Bank, has only returned to his job in Israel once, in July 2024. After climbing over the Israeli-built wall separating the West Bank and Israel, Rauf was caught by Israeli police during a raid at his employer’s construction site and jailed for 38 days for entering without a permit. Now back in the West Bank, he’s banned from Israel until 2027.

Rauf, who didn’t want his last name used to protect his identity, had his permit revoked when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, as with the other approximately 115,000 Palestinians from the West Bank who also held work permits. Nearly two years into the war, only about 8,000 permits have been reinstated.

With hundreds of thousands of Palestinians out of work, unemplo