Kissufim | |
|---|---|
 Map of Kissufim on a sign in the kibbutz. | |
| Etymology: Yearning | |
  Kissufim  Kissufim | |
| Coordinates:31°22′27″N34°23′58″E / 31.37417°N 34.39944°E /31.37417; 34.39944 | |
| Country |  Israel |
| District | Southern |
| Council | Eshkol |
| Affiliation | Kibbutz Movement |
| Founded | 1951 |
| Founded by | American andSouth AmericanZionist youth movement members |
| Population (2023)[1] | 343 |
| Website | www |
Kissufim (Hebrew:כִּסּוּפִים,lit. 'Yearning') is akibbutz in the northwesternNegev desert inIsrael. Located adjacent to theGaza Strip at an altitude of 92 m (302 ft) above sea level, it falls under the jurisdiction ofEshkol Regional Council. In 2023 it had a population of 343.[1]
The village was established in 1951 byZionist youth movement members from theUnited States andSouth America. One of the founders of the kibbutz was Ami Saull, who was born inManhattan 1932 (nephew ofIsrael Galili and father of filmmakerDror Shaul). Kissufim is part of the Shalom bloc of Israeli settlement meant to secure Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip from the numerousPalestinian Fedayeen infiltrations.[citation needed] The government financed reinforced concrete rooms for each home which serve as bomb shelters.[2]
In 1999, Dror Shaul, who was born and raised on Kissufim, filmed a satirical comedy,Operation Grandma, based on life in the kibbutz.[3] In 2023, Keren Nechmad released her filmKissufim, shot on location, and which won awards at several film festivals.[4][5]
Through the Kissufim gate, humanitarian aid is transferred to the Gaza Strip by Israel and other entities.[6][7]
Hamas has attacked Kissufim with rocket attacks several times in the 2010s and 2020s.[8] In 2023 Hamas perpetrated theKissufim massacre.
On 7 October 2023,Hamas launched an attack on Kissufim during a large-scaleHamas-led attack on southern Israel.[9] Hamas militants perpetrated a massacre in Kissufim during the attack, murdering nine residents (includingShlomo Mansour, whose body was taken hostage) and six foreign workers, and abducting several other residents.[10][11] Kissufim has since been depopulated, with the residents living in temporary housing inOmer.[12]
The kibbutz economy relies ondairy farming,poultry farming,citrus groves and anavocado orchard which constitutes one of the kibbutz's primary sources of income. Kissufim had a factory that produced plastic frames for eyeglasses.[13] The Kissufim dairy has 380 cows with an average milk production of 12,800 liters.[14]
Tell Jemmeh is a major archaeological site located about 5 kilometers east-northeast of Kissufim, on the southern bank ofHaBesor Stream. In June 1977, a tractor-driver preparing a new field discovered mosaics believed to be part of the floor of a mid-sixth centuryByzantine church. According to archaeologists it was built on the plan of an early Christian Basilica during the reign ofConstantine in 313 C.E.[15]
Kibbutz Kissufim houses an archaeology museum showcasing artifacts discovered in the area.
In 1961, a stone fragment bearing aHebrew inscription was discovered near Kissufim. The inscription mentions thepriestly course of Petaḥia. It is believed to date back to the 5th or 6th century CE.[16]
The nearby crossing into the Gaza Strip, named for the kibbutz, was the main route for traffic into theGush KatifIsraeli settlement bloc. It was permanently closed to inbound Israeli civilian traffic on 15 August 2005 as part of thedisengagement plan. The last Israeli soldier left the Gaza Strip and closed the gate at dawn of 12 September 2005, completing the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.[17]
Israel reopened the crossing on 12 November 2024 in response to US demands to open another crossing into the Gaza Strip. The demands were intended to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.[18][19]
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