The Independent Commission for Human Rights - ICHR 41 dismissed. The Ministry of Labour (MoL) sought to recover social benefits, including savings, of a specific number of formal workers inside the Green Line from the Israeli Payments Department in Jerusalem. Some ILS 40,884,805 were withdrawn from a total of 2,036 Palestinian worker beneficiaries. Pension benefits were also owed to retired workers, including 251 in the West Bank and 62 in the Gaza Strip.52 The Israeli occupying authorities deliberately continued to assimilate informal (smuggled) Palestinian workers and support the sale of work permits in the black market through permit brokers. Hence, cheap labour is used without any due rights. Because work permits are sold, estimates show that over 35,000 Palestinians are employed in the Israeli informal labour sector, representing 20 of the Palestinian labour forces. All the more so, Israeli employers themselves have sold permits to Palestinian workers, who have never held to account by Israel. The price of a permit ranges from ILS 2,500 to 3,000 a month. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates, as a result of this practice, losses incurred by the Palestinian national economy exceeded ILS 1.2 billion in 2019.53 The so-called Israeli “Coordinator” has played a key role in this context. By posts on his social media platform, the Coordinator publishes a new employment app for the electronic registration of Palestinian workers, contravening agreements with the Israeli side. 1.1.13 Energy The Israeli occupying authorities have procrastinated upgrading power capacity, obstructing functions of the Palestinian Energy Authority (PEA), which has not been capable of meeting demand for electricity. As a consequence, power outage has affected citizens in some communities. Many Palestinian areas continue to be connected to the Israeli low-voltage network, limiting electrical capacity and increasing tariff, causing high leakage, and incurring greater losses on Palestinians. Without their approval, the Israeli occupying authorities do not allow Palestinian to operate in areas adjacent to the Separation Wall and Area C, as well as on water wells. This Israeli policy has disrupted functions and restricted capacity of the PEA to implement needed projects. The Israeli side further stall the approval of constructing transmission networks across Area C, particularly transmission lines connecting all four transformer stations. Caused by the Israeli side, countless abrupt power outages and problems, particularly with some feeder lines of local companies and LGUs, have caused damage to electrical appliances and water pumps. In addition to power blackouts and reduced capacity, Israel imposed fines both unjustly and unjustifiably. Since they are issued in Hebrew and sent on an irregular basis, electricity bills are deducted from Palestinian clearance revenues, together with extra fines. The Israeli occupying authorities obstruct the entry of some electrical equipment due to security screening. Designated as dual-use items, this equipment is subjected to prolonged and complex procedures and left trapped at Israeli ports for a long time. While electric power grid connections are denied by the Israeli occupying authorities, the IOF systematically destroys solar energy systems installed to serve many marginalised and isolated Bedouin communities across Area C and in areas under the threat of confiscation and population displacement. The IOF also obstructs and prevents the installation of many renewable energy projects, particularly electricity generation from wind.54 The Israeli authorities continued to delay facilities for the electricity sector development and refuse 52 Letter from the MoL, January 2022. 54 Letter from the PEA, January 2022. 53 Letter from the MoL, January 2022. Twenty Seventh Annual Report 2021