The Israeli cabinet approved on Sunday the allocation of 5,000 work permits to Palestinians from the West Bank, the Israeli Governmental Press office revealed in a statement, Xinhua reported.
The move is part of a set of gestures Israel is providing for the Palestinian Authority following the recent renewal of Israeli- Palestinian peace talks held on July 30 in Washington D.C., after a three-year halt in negotiations.
According to the cabinet communique, "the allocation among the various branches of employment will be implemented pursuant to an agreement that will be formulated between the defense, finance, economy, construction and housing and interior ministries."
The proposal was submitted by Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, and it was stated that it aims at helping the Palestinian economy.
In November 2012, the Israeli Justice and Interior ministries announced granting work permits for Palestinians married to Israeli citizens, as well as 3,000 general permits for Palestinian working in construction.
According to data provide to Xinhua by Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), a body which administers the Defense Ministry's policies and directives on the West Bank, there are currently 50,000 Palestinians authorized to work in Israel, 39,000 of which are permanent.
The data also reveals that the unemployment rate among Palestinians in the West Bank is estimated at 17.5 percent.