Tel Katifa
Encyclopedia
Tel Katifa was a small Israeli settlement
located in the northeast end of the Gush Katif
settlement bloc of the Gaza Strip
, and evacuated in Israel's disengagement
of 2005. The settlement was named after the adjacent archeological site from the Canaanite
period. The Palestinian
village of Deir el-Balah
lied on the northern edge of the settlement. A natural pond was located in the heart of the settlement, water from which was used to irrigate a small greenhouse farm. A small army outpost with a few dozen Israeli soldiers guarded the location by manning the main gate, a watchtower that stood above the settlement, and a tank
that stood watch during the night.
Tel Katifa was founded in May 1992 on the Mediterranean coast by second generation Gush Katif single farmers. The residents understood that they would need to attract families in order for the settlement to develop properly and in 1998, several from Ganei Tal
, Katif
, and Neve Dekalim
answered the call. Until that, living conditions had been rudimentary. The singles had been living in trailers, electricity was provided by a generator that did not work all day because of the high cost of operation. Water pressure was low and when the greenhouses were being irrigated, there was no water for personal use. Permanent homes were built, along with a nursery
and a mikveh.
The 20 or so families lived in either houses or trailers and were composed of a mix of secular and orthodox
Jews who lived together in tight community with activities for all ages. The expression 'living together in harmony' was used often.
Residents Tel Katifa were evicted on August 17, 2005 by the Israeli Army and Israeli Police who reported that 156 people were removed from the site http://www.police.gov.il/english/AboutUs/Special_Reports/02_en_disengagement5.asp. The houses were destroyed and the area was later transferred to the Palestinians.
Israeli settlement
An Israeli settlement is a Jewish civilian community built on land that was captured by Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered occupied territory by the international community. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank...
located in the northeast end of the Gush Katif
Gush Katif
Gush Katif was a bloc of 17 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza strip. Gush Katif was specifically mentioned by Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli prime minister who fell victim to an assassin in 1995, as essential to Israel's security border. In August 2005, the Israeli army moved the 8,600...
settlement bloc of the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
, and evacuated in Israel's disengagement
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan , also known as the "Disengagement plan", "Gaza expulsion plan", and "Hitnatkut", was a proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, adopted by the government on June 6, 2004 and enacted in August 2005, to evict all Israelis from the Gaza Strip and from...
of 2005. The settlement was named after the adjacent archeological site from the Canaanite
Canaan
Canaan is a historical region roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the western parts of Jordan...
period. The Palestinian
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
village of Deir el-Balah
Deir el-Balah
Deir el-Balah or Dayr al-Balah is located in the central Gaza Strip and is the capital or muhfaza of the Deir el-Balah Governorate...
lied on the northern edge of the settlement. A natural pond was located in the heart of the settlement, water from which was used to irrigate a small greenhouse farm. A small army outpost with a few dozen Israeli soldiers guarded the location by manning the main gate, a watchtower that stood above the settlement, and a tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
that stood watch during the night.
Tel Katifa was founded in May 1992 on the Mediterranean coast by second generation Gush Katif single farmers. The residents understood that they would need to attract families in order for the settlement to develop properly and in 1998, several from Ganei Tal
Ganei Tal
Ganei Tal was an Israeli settlement in the south of the Gaza Strip. Located in the Gush Katif settlement bloc, it was established as a moshav in 1979 with a primarily agricultural purpose; exporting geraniums and tomatoes to Europe. It had a population of some 75 families, or 500 people.Lined...
, Katif
Katif (moshav)
Katif was an Israeli settlement in the Gush Katif bloc in the Gaza Strip, about 1 km north of the Palestinian refugee camp of Deir el-Balah. It was founded in 1977 as an Orthodox moshav. The name is derived from the nearby Tel Katifa archeological site....
, and Neve Dekalim
Neve Dekalim
Neve Dekalim was an Israeli settlement and a community in the Gush Katif settlement bloc in the Gaza Strip. It was founded in 1983 after the Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula, on sand dunes that were previously uninhabited. The village served as a regional center for the Gush Katif...
answered the call. Until that, living conditions had been rudimentary. The singles had been living in trailers, electricity was provided by a generator that did not work all day because of the high cost of operation. Water pressure was low and when the greenhouses were being irrigated, there was no water for personal use. Permanent homes were built, along with a nursery
Nursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
and a mikveh.
The 20 or so families lived in either houses or trailers and were composed of a mix of secular and orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
Jews who lived together in tight community with activities for all ages. The expression 'living together in harmony' was used often.
Residents Tel Katifa were evicted on August 17, 2005 by the Israeli Army and Israeli Police who reported that 156 people were removed from the site http://www.police.gov.il/english/AboutUs/Special_Reports/02_en_disengagement5.asp. The houses were destroyed and the area was later transferred to the Palestinians.