Kisufim Colony

Kisufim was built in 1951 by the Zionist Youth Movement in the northwestern Negev desert, less than 2 kilometers from Gaza. It is inhabited by settlers from North and South America and is considered an agricultural "kibbutz." It forms part of what is called the Eshkol Regional Council of colonies that Israel established in what is referred to as the "Gaza Envelope." Kisufim lies east of Khan Younis, on the lands of the Palestinian village of Bani Sha’at, which had a population of about 550 in 1945.

The name of Kisufim became prominent during the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation in 2023, as it was one of the closest and first sites to be taken by the resistance. Eight people were killed there, and in the past, it had also been the site of Palestinian raids.

In recent years, the Israeli authorities built a shelter for each house to protect its residents from Palestinian rockets. However, despite the shelters, many settlers were killed or captured during the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation. The colony also absorbed settlers evacuated from Gaza colonies during the 2005 disengagement plan.

According to 2005 statistics, Kisufim had 235 settlers. The site was expanded in 1993: originally covering only two dunams, it later grew to eight dunams.