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Sufa, Israel

Coordinates: 31°14′14″N 34°20′29″E / 31.23722°N 34.34139°E / 31.23722; 34.34139
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Sufa
סוּפָה ‎
صوفا ‎
Sufa is located in Northwest Negev region of Israel
Sufa
Sufa
Sufa is located in Israel
Sufa
Sufa
Coordinates: 31°14′14″N 34°20′29″E / 31.23722°N 34.34139°E / 31.23722; 34.34139
CountryIsrael
DistrictSouthern
CouncilEshkol
AffiliationKibbutz Movement
Founded1982
Founded byEvacuated settlers
Population
 (2022)[1]
233
Websitewww.sufa.org

Sufa (Hebrew: סוּפָה, lit. 'Storm') is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located in the Hevel Shalom area of the north-western Negev desert, it falls under the jurisdiction of Eshkol Regional Council. In 2022 it had a population of 233.[1]

A border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip named after the kibbutz was located nearby, but was closed permanently by Israel in 2008.[2]

Kibbutz

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The kibbutz was founded in 1982 by former residents of Sufa, an Israeli settlement in Sinai which was evacuated as part of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty. Its name is derived from the severe dust storms which occurred in the original settlement. To the north of the kibbutz, where Nirim was between the years 1946–1949, lies the memorial site "Dangur", commemorating the casualties of the Egyptian attack on Nirim and a memorial for the eight fallen soldiers.[3]

Sufa was one of the Israeli villages briefly under Hamas control at the start of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war,[4] with three residents killed.[5] A women's tank platoon of the Caracal Battalion was crucial for recapturing the kibbutz.[6]

Border crossing

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The Sufa border crossing was used by Palestinians working on Israeli farms. During the Second Intifada (2000–2005), the border crossing and the military base next to it were subject to several Palestinian attacks, and the crossing was intermittently closed.[7][8] In October 2007, the crossing was closed, leaving the Kerem Shalom crossing as the only point of entry. In November, despite IDF objections saying it was harder to guard than Kerem Shalom, Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai decided to reopen the crossing.[9] It was then used to transfer humanitarian assistance to the Strip.[10]

In May 2008 the crossing was once again closed following a mortar attack which wounded an IDF soldier.[11] A few days later, thousands of Palestinians protested the Israeli blockade. Six people were reported wounded by the IDF in that incident.[12] On 1 June about forty Israeli farmers protested at the crossing, in a bid to stop the transportation of goods into the Strip despite the ongoing Qassam rocket barrages.[11][13] As a result, the Sufa border crossing was permanently closed in 2008.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Entrance of goods to Gaza via Kerem Shalom". Gisha. 2022-07-03. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  3. ^ Yuval Elʻazari, ed. (2005). Mapa's concise gazetteer of Israel (in Hebrew). Tel-Aviv: Mapa Publishing. pp. 387–388. ISBN 965-7184-34-7.
  4. ^ "Seven communities under Hamas control: report". The Guardian. 7 October 2023.
  5. ^ "שישה תושבים מול עשרות מחבלים: גיבורי הקרב בקיבוץ סופה משחזרים". Walla. 13 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Female IDF tank crews ran down dozens of Hamas terrorists on October 7". The Times of Israel. 26 November 2023.
  7. ^ United Nations. The Gaza Strip: Access Report January 2006 (PDF). Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-10-13. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  8. ^ Issacharoff, Avi (2007-06-27). "Crossings used to bring aid into Gaza closed due to terror alerts". Haaretz. Archived from the original on Jan 9, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  9. ^ "Vilnai Opens Sufa Crossing Despite IDF Objections". Arutz Sheva. 2007-11-15. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  10. ^ "Humanitarian assistance to Gaza since Feb 27 escalation in terror". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  11. ^ a b Haaretz Service (2008-06-01). "IDF soldier moderately wounded by Palestinian fire in south Gaza". Haaretz. Retrieved 2008-06-05.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ Waked, Ali (2008-05-30). "Report: 6 Palestinians injured by IDF fire in Gaza". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  13. ^ Atlas, Yonat. "Farmers protest at Sufa crossing against ongoing rocket barrages". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
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