Workplace accident fatalities in Israel have climbed to pre-war levels, with 36 deaths and 297 severe injuries in the first half of 2025, according to Kav LaOved, an organization tracking worker injuries in the county. This marks a rise from 29 deaths in the same period during 2024, which saw a temporary decline due to reduced economic activity during the war in Gaza.
Kav LaOved attributed the surge to workplaces resuming near pre-October 7 operations, calling last year’s drop artificial. Construction accounts for 60% of victims, with the remainder in agriculture, industry and general services. Half of construction injuries stem from falls from a height, with heavy object falls and work vehicle accidents also significant.
Many victims are Arab Israelis, Palestinians and migrant workers, the most vulnerable groups paying the price for unsafe construction sites and systemic safety failures, the organization added. While the Labor Ministry issued slightly more safety orders in 2025 than in 2024, Kav LaOved warned of a five-year decline, from a peak of 3,000 orders per half-year in 2020 to just 1,300 in early 2025.
Analysis reveals enforcement gaps, with high-accident cities like Haifa, which recorded 22 moderate-to-severe incidents, receiving only 25 safety orders since January, compared to 169 in Jerusalem. Kav LaOved urged Labor Minister Yoav Ben Tzur to establish a national occupational safety authority and a comprehensive plan to curb workplace accidents, stressing that workers “should not return home in coffins."
The Labor Ministry issued a statement, dismissing the data as inaccurate and biased, asserting that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration is the official body monitoring construction, industry and agriculture sites. It highlighted a historic reform in construction regulations to hold site managers accountable and increase deterrence.
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The ministry emphasized that its 70 inspectors risk their lives daily, preventing dozens of accidents. In the first half of 2025, over 650 sites were shut down for safety violations, with 2,600 safety orders issued across industries.
The administration vowed to continue rigorous field operations and called on developers and contractors to ensure worker safety, enabling them to earn a living and return home safely.
First published: 13:43, 07.14.25