‘Auja al-Hafir

‘Auja al-Hafir was historically a road junction near water wells in the western Negev and eastern Sinai, and it served as the traditional grazing land of the Al-‘Azazmeh tribe. The border crossing between Egypt and Ottoman/British-administered Palestine was located in this area, approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of Gaza.

Today, the location hosts the Nitzana settlement, the Ketse’ot settlement, and a military base in the southern region.

In 1948, the Egyptian army used the area as a military base. During the Battle of ‘Auja, the area was captured by the 89th Commando Battalion, which included an English-speaking platoon composed of volunteers from England, Germany, the Netherlands, Rhodesia, South Africa, and the United States.

Israeli Occupation

As a result of the 1949 Armistice Agreement, the area surrounding the village—known as the ‘Auja Zone—was designated as a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) covering an area of 145 square kilometers, and was placed under the supervision of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO).

On 28 September 1953, the Israeli military established the fortified settlement of Ketse’ot, overlooking the ‘Auja Junction. The initial name given to this Nahal outpost was Giv’at Rachel.

Despite formal armistice obligations, Israel re-militarized the area on 21 September 1955. Israel continued to occupy the zone even after withdrawing from Sinai and Gaza following the end of the Suez Crisis in 1956.

From that time until the 1967 War, the demilitarized zone and border region were monitored by the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF).

Israel has controlled the area since 1967, where it currently maintains a major military base and a detention facility.