Friday, May 1^st, 2026, marks the international workers' day, an occasion to celebrate and support the working class, express solidarity with it, and organize advocacy and pressure campaigns to improve working conditions and labor rights.

This year, the occasion comes at a time when the workers of the Gaza Strip and Palestine in general are in are in urgent need of solidarity, advocacy, and support, as well as pressure on states and international institutions to act swiftly to halt the genocide and implement projects that create jobs and emergency employment opportunities to mitigate the impact of income loss for tens of thousands of families in Gaza and the West Bank.

This occasion comes amid the continuation of the genocidal war on the Gaza Strip for the third consecutive year, the destruction of key sectors especially industrial and agricultural, tight restrictions on the entry of goods and materials, particularly those used in industry and agriculture, and the prevention of fuel access to the local market and the Gaza Strip’s only power plant for the third year in a row. In addition, ongoing financial restrictions and the blocking of cash liquidity into the Strip have led to an unprecedented contraction in (GDP), with devastating effects on economic and social conditions, particularly on the private sector, the largest employer of workers.

As the genocide in Gaza continues, campaigns to discredit humanitarian and relief organizations have intensified, along with the withdrawal and suspension of licenses, including for well-known international organizations with long professional records in providing life-saving aid, and the imposition of international sanctions on Palestinian civil society organizations, as well as the freezing of human rights organizations’ accounts. This has resulted in the dismissal of thousands of employees and workers within these institutions.

According to the latest updates from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the genocidal war on Gaza has caused unprecedented upheaval in the labor market. The latest figures indicate that after the aggression, 74% of individuals lost their jobs and became unemployed or exited the labor force, with unemployment reaching approximately 68% in the fourth quarter of 2024. While these figures are shocking, they no longer reflect the reality as of May 2026, where estimates suggest that unemployment exceeds 80% of the total labor force in the Gaza Strip.

The working class and their families are facing catastrophic conditions due to the deterioration of humanitarian and living conditions, and the ongoing shortage of basic goods, the halt of work, and the loss of income. Families are struggling to secure their basic needs amid rising poverty levels, lack of shelter, scarcity of drinking water, electricity outages, deteriorating healthcare services, severe shortages of medicines, and rising prices of essential goods.

With the ongoing blockade and the near-total restriction on movement of people and goods, occupation forces continue their military attacks almost daily, killing and injuring civilians and continuing the destruction of homes and other structures in areas under their control. These forces are also expanding their zones of control, with areas east of the “yellow line” now exceeding 70% of the total area of the Gaza Strip, reaching the main Salah al-Din road. This makes movement along the road highly dangerous, limiting commercial and economic activities, and causing severe social consequences by restricting family connections and access to hospitals.

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights calls on the international community to intervene to stop the genocidal war, end the targeting of civilians, protect properties , economic and social sectors, lift the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip, and allow the entry of goods, supplies, and raw materials in sufficient quantities. It also calls for an end to the targeting of humanitarian institutions and sectors in Gaza.

Al Mezan further urges workers around the world to intensify their advocacy for Palestinian workers, strengthen solidarity efforts, and continue actions aimed at halting dealings with ships transporting weapons to occupation forces. It also calls on humanitarian and development organizations to expand support for relief programs targeting workers, implement urgent plans to create and expand job opportunities and social protection, and alleviate the challenges and restrictions facing economic and social rights, especially the right to decent work.