Sufa, Israel

Infobox Kibbutz
kibbutz_name = Sufa
foundation = 1982
founded_by = Evacuated settlers
region = North-western Negev
council = Eshkol
industry = Agriculture
affiliation = Kibbutz Movement
website = [http://www.sufa.org/html/ www.sufa.org]

Sufa ( _he. סופה, lit. "Storm") is a kibbutz in the Hevel Shalom area of the north-western Negev and a border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip.

The kibbutz

The kibbutz falls under the jurisdiction of Eshkol Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 241. It 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.Cite book
publisher = Mapa Publishing
isbn = 9657184347
pages = pp. 387-388
others = Yuval Elʻazari (ed.)
title = Mapa's concise gazetteer of Israel
location = Tel-Aviv
date = 2005he icon]

The border crossing

The Sufa border crossing was open in the past to Palestinians working in Israeli farms. During the Second Intifada, the border crossing and the military base next to it were subject to several Palestinian attacks, and the crossing has been intermittently closed.Cite conference
last = United Nations
title = The Gaza Strip: Access Report January 2006
accessdate = 2008-06-05
url = http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:KP0IKAKCy70J:www.ochaopt.org/documents/ochaSR_GazaAccess_Jan06.pdf+sufa+crossing&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=il&client=firefox-a] Cite news
last = Issacharoff
first = Avi
title = Crossings used to bring aid into Gaza closed due to terror alerts
work = Haaretz
accessdate = 2008-06-05
date = 2007-06-27
url = http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/875674.html] In October 2007, the crossing was closed, leaving the Kerem Shalom crossing the only point of entry. In November, despite IDF objections who said it was harder to guard than Kerem Shalom, Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai decided to reopen it.Cite news
title = Vilnai Opens Sufa Crossing Despite IDF Objections
work = Arutz Sheva
accessdate = 2008-06-05
date = 2007-11-15
url = http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/136534] It has since been used to transfer Humanitarian assistance to the Strip.Cite web
title = Humanitarian assistance to Gaza since Feb 27 escalation in terror
work = Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
accessdate = 2008-06-05
url = http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2008/Humanitarian+assistance+transferred+to+Gaza+4-Mar-2008.htm]

In May 2008 the crossing was once again closed following a mortar attack which wounded an IDF soldier.Cite news
last = Haaretz Service
title = IDF soldier moderately wounded by Palestinian fire in south Gaza
work = Haaretz
accessdate = 2008-06-05
date = 2008-06-01
url = http://news.haaretz.co.il/hasen/spages/989000.html] A few days later, thousands of Palestinians protested the Israeli blockade. Six people were reported wounded by the IDF in that incident.Cite news
last = Waked
first = Ali
title = Report: 6 Palestinians injured by IDF fire in Gaza
work = Ynetnews
accessdate = 2008-06-05
date = 2008-05-30
url = http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3549890,00.html] On June 1, 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.Cite news
last = Atlas
first = Yonat
title = Farmers protest at Sufa crossing against ongoing rocket barrages
work = Ynetnews
accessdate = 2008-06-05
url = http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3550296,00.html]

References

External links

* [http://www.sufa.org/html/ Official website] he icon
* [http://eng.negev-net.org.il/HTMLs/article.aspx?C2004=12752 Sufa] Negev Information Center