Palestinian People’s Party Says Fascist Zionist Occupation’s War Threatens Palestinian National Project on May 1

On May 1, 2026, the Palestinian People’s Party issued a statement marking International Workers’ Day while describing “one of the harshest and most dangerous phases” in Palestinian history, as “the genocidal war and the broad aggression waged by the fascist Zionist occupation—especially against the Gaza Strip—continues.”

“RAMALLAH, May 1, 2026 (WAFA) – The General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW) said that Palestinian women workers are facing one of the harshest phases of exploitation and marginalization amid the ongoing aggression and blockade imposed on the Palestinian people, as occupation policies intersect with discrimination against women workers, threatening their right to decent work”

WAFA Agency

The party framed the day as arriving “in the midst” of targeting “the existence of our people and their national rights,” and said the “popular, working, and poor classes” have “paid the heaviest price with their blood, livelihoods, and social security.”

Tilfaziyun Nablus

It tied that toll to “bombardment and destruction” as well as “forced unemployment,” “the collapse of production sectors,” and “the widening circles of poverty and marginalization.”

In the West Bank, the party said workers’ suffering worsens due to “occupation policies, ethnic cleansing,” and “closures, sieges, and severing of ties,” alongside “daily practices of humiliation at checkpoints.”

It also described “denial of job opportunities” and “pursuit and arrest,” and said the labor market has seen “the intensification of forms of nationalist and class exploitation.”

The statement warned that “grave risks facing the Palestinian cause threaten to liquidate the Palestinian national project,” and called for ending “internal division” to restore “unity of the Palestinian political system.”

It affirmed that “the unity of national and social struggle constitutes the foundational path for facing aggression and strengthening the resilience of our people,” and said the party would continue “defending the land and homeland” while also defending “the decent livelihood and the social and democratic rights of the working class.”

The Palestinian People’s Party used its May Day statement to lay out a set of demands that it said would address workers’ conditions under what it described as ongoing aggression and occupation.

It called for “Stop the ongoing genocidal war against our people, especially in the Gaza Strip,” and said that should be paired with “withdraw the occupation, open the crossings, break the siege, secure the urgent humanitarian needs, and launch the process of reconstruction.”

Shabakat Yafa al-ikhbariyya

The party also demanded “stop ongoing annexation and expansion, ethnic cleansing, and the ongoing state terror by the occupation and settlers against our people.”

In its labor-focused points, it demanded “Guarantee freedom of movement for workers, halt policies of closures and tightening on them, protect them from daily violations, and end all forms of exploitation and discrimination.”

It called for “Launch a comprehensive national emergency plan, with Arab and international support,” to address workers’ conditions through “providing social safety nets, supporting employment programs, and rehabilitating the wounded and integrating them into the labor market.”

The statement further required “employers to respect full labor rights, including fair wages, health insurance, and occupational safety conditions, and prevent arbitrary dismissal.”

It also demanded “Raise the minimum wage to reflect the cost of living,” “expand the umbrella of social protection,” and “ensure full equality between male and female workers.”

Finally, it said “Protect democratic and union freedoms, guarantee the right to organize, strike, and peaceful protest, and reject any interference in the union movement,” and it added that “Empower unions to participate in shaping economic and social policies, and to develop related legislation.”

Other May Day coverage focused on Palestinian women workers, describing exploitation and marginalization amid “ongoing aggression and blockade.”

“Top News\nThe Women's Union on Labor Day: Palestinian women between siege and exploitation\nJerusalem Governorate: eight attempts to bring offerings to the Al-Aqsa Mosque\nAraghchi: The cost of Netanyahu's gamble on the United States exceeds four times what the Pentagon stated\nThe UAE calls for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz without any conditions\nAbu Huleh: Pressure on the occupation to stop crimes, open crossings, and ensure freedom of movement and work\nA former Israeli ambassador describes the assault on a French nun in Jerusalem as \"Jewish terrorism\"\nThe occupation seizes a piece of land and settlers burn a vehicle and an excavator south of Hebron\nActivists are transported to Crete after Israel blocked aid ships bound for Gaza\nFattouh denounces the decision to allocate an official budget by the occupation's Foreign Ministry to develop settlement sites in the West Bank\nPrisoners' Institutions accuse the occupation of war crimes systematically against Palestinian workers\nHome\nPalestinian Affairs\n* The Women's Union on Labor Day: Palestinian women between siege and exploitation\n\nMay 1, 2026 | 12:46 PM\nPrint Read article Zoom In Zoom Out\n\nThe Women's Union on Labor Day: Palestinian women between siege and exploitation\nYafo News Network\nThe General Union of Palestinian Women has affirmed that Palestinian women workers face one of the harshest periods of exploitation and marginalization amid the brutal aggression and siege imposed on the Palestinian people, where occupation policies intersect with the reality of discrimination against women workers, threatening their rights to decent work”

Shabakat Yafa al-ikhbariyya

WAFA reported that the General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW) said women workers are facing “one of the harshest phases of exploitation and marginalization” as “occupation policies intersect with discrimination against women workers, threatening their right to decent work.”

WAFA said the union’s estimates indicate Palestinian women’s participation in the labor market remains low, “ranking among the lowest globally at no more than 19 percent,” and it said unemployment rates are particularly high among female university graduates.

It added that women workers face “low wages,” “a lack of social protection,” and “weak representation in trade union structures and economic decision-making positions.”

The union said the occupation bears “primary responsibility for the destruction of the Palestinian economy” and for making it “dependent” through “economic linkage,” “as well as through the imposition of blockade and closures.”

Yafo News Network similarly framed Palestinian women workers as “between siege and exploitation,” saying the General Union of Palestinian Women affirmed that women workers face “one of the harshest periods of exploitation and marginalization” amid “the brutal aggression and siege.”

Yafo News Network echoed the same labor-market figure, stating women’s participation “remains low, still among the lowest globally, not exceeding a rate of 19%,” and it said female workers face “low wages, lack of social protection, and weak representation” in unions and the economy.

Both the Palestinian People’s Party statement and the women’s union coverage linked labor conditions to restrictions on movement and the structure of the Palestinian economy under occupation.

The People’s Party said workers’ suffering in the West Bank worsens through “closures, sieges, and severing of ties,” and it described “daily practices of humiliation at checkpoints” alongside “denial of job opportunities” and “pursuit and arrest.”

Shabakat Yafa al-ikhbariyya

It also said the internal economic and social crisis “deepens,” affecting “workers’ rights and their standard of living,” while “the decline of social protection and weak enforcement of labor laws” compound the situation.

In the women’s union reporting, WAFA said the occupation bears “primary responsibility” for destroying the Palestinian economy and making it dependent by “tying it to the Israeli economy,” while also imposing “blockade and closures.”

Yafo News Network similarly said the union stressed that “the colonial occupation bears primary responsibility for destroying the Palestinian economy and making it dependent” through “tying it to the Israeli economy” and “imposing blockade and closures.”

The women’s union statements also connected labor rights to representation and monitoring, calling on unions and institutions to “enhance women’s representation in decision-making positions” and to “monitor working conditions.”

The People’s Party, in parallel, demanded “Guarantee freedom of movement for workers” and “halt policies of closures and tightening on them,” while also calling to “end all forms of exploitation and discrimination.”

It further demanded “Protect democratic and union freedoms” by guaranteeing “the right to organize, strike, and peaceful protest,” and it said it would reject “any interference in the union movement.”

The Palestinian People’s Party framed its May Day message as both a response to the war and a political program for the period ahead, emphasizing unity and a national emergency plan.

“4/30/2026 1:40:00 PM On May 1st of each year, freedom-loving people around the world celebrate International Workers’ Day, a day that has become a symbol of the struggle of the working class and an embodiment of the sacrifices of workers and toilers in facing exploitation and in the pursuit of social justice”

Tilfaziyun Nablus

It warned that “grave risks facing the Palestinian cause threaten to liquidate the Palestinian national project,” and said that “this stage requires a sincere and responsible Palestinian effort to overcome the state of division.”

Tilfaziyun Nablus

The party said it would “adopt a unified political discourse that leads to restoring the unity of the Palestinian political system,” and it called for “safeguarding national rights” while “confronting liquidation projects.”

It also insisted that “Preserving the Palestinian national project in the face of liquidation risks necessarily requires ending the division, restoring national unity, and strengthening political partnership within the framework of the Palestinian Liberation Organization.”

In its labor demands, it called for “Launch a comprehensive national emergency plan, with Arab and international support,” to address workers’ conditions, including “providing social safety nets” and “supporting employment programs.”

The statement also said the plan should include “rehabilitating the wounded and integrating them into the labor market,” and it demanded that “Restore workers’ financial rights that are withheld, including deductions and funds seized by the occupation.”

For women workers specifically, WAFA said the union urged “efforts to preserve the dignity of women workers as an integral part of the dignity of the Palestinian people,” and it called for unions and institutions to “monitor working conditions.”

Yafo News Network echoed that the struggle for economic and social rights is part of the broader freedom struggle, stating that “the struggle for economic and social rights is an essential part of the freedom struggle.”