RAMALLAH, March 30, 2026 (WAFA) – The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI) have called on the International Labour Organization (ILO) to urgently intervene following the killing of a Palestinian worker and his family in the West Bank.
ITUC Secretary-General Luc Triangle and BWI Secretary-General Ambet Yuson sent an official letter to ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo, calling for immediate action regarding the incident.
The letter stressed that the incident constitutes a grave violation of the right to life and the safety of workers, and represents a breach of international humanitarian law and human rights law, including the protections afforded to civilians under the Fourth Geneva Convention and the right to life enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
In their letter, the two unions explained that, based on a meeting held via video conference — with the participation of Executive Secretary of the Arab Trade Union Confederation Hind Ben Ammar, Secretary-General of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions Shaher Saad, union leaders, as well as the two surviving sons of the worker and their families — worker Ali Khaled Sayel Bani Odeh, 37, his wife Waad Othman Aql Bani Odeh, 35, and their two sons, five-year-old Mohammad and seven-year-old Othman, who was visually impaired, were killed on March 15, 2026, after their vehicle came under Israeli forces’ gunfire in the town of Tammun, north of the West Bank, while returning from Nablus to their home. Two other children were injured.
The letter stressed that the incident constitutes a grave violation of the right to life and the safety of workers, and represents a breach of international humanitarian law and human rights law, including the protections afforded to civilians under the Fourth Geneva Convention and the right to life enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The two unions noted that targeting a worker while returning from work with his family undermines the right of workers to safe and decent working conditions, as stipulated in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. They stressed that the crime cannot be considered an isolated incident, but rather comes within the context of escalating violence and the deterioration of working and living conditions for Palestinian workers.
They called on the ILO Director-General to launch an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation to determine responsibilities and to engage with the Israeli government to ensure full accountability, including those within the military chain of command. They also urged raising the issue within the organization’s tripartite dialogue mechanisms to ensure the urgent protection of Palestinian workers.
They further stressed the importance of direct engagement with the affected family and the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions in recognition of the profound humanitarian impact of the incident.
In the same context, Secretary-General of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions Shaher Saad underscored the importance of the letter in shedding light on violations against Palestinian workers. He noted that 50 workers have been killed by Israeli forces’ fire while seeking to earn a living, including three during March 2026, in addition to hundreds of injuries since October 7, 2023.
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