Settlements evacuated from the Gaza Strip

Elei Sinai Settlement: Located on the northern border of the Gaza Strip, about one kilometer from the coastline, this settlement was established in 1983 to absorb settlers who had been evacuated from the Sinai settlement of Yamit in 1982. The settlement occupies about 763 dunams of land. There are buildings on about 175 dunams of this area. Around 300 Jewish settlers were resident in Elei Sinai at the time the disengagement was announced. Dugit Settlement (The Fishermen’s Village): Dugit was established in 1990, about two kilometers south of the Gaza-Israel border in northern Gaza, and about one kilometer from the coastline. It occupies about 600 dunams of land and is home to about 70 Israeli settlers. In 1984, an Israeli ministerial committee decided to build the settlement on the location of a military site, for settlers who wished to fish off the Gaza Strip coast. A by-pass road only settlers may use connects the three northern settlements. Nisanit Settlement: Located about five kilometers from the coast in northern Gaza and one and a half kilometers from the northern Gaza border with Israel, Nisanit was established in 1982. It was established by the Israeli army, and also began as a settlement for newly evacuated settlers from Yamit. It occupies around 1,620 dunams of land. Following Ariel Sharon’s election as Israeli Prime Minister in 2001, a number of people moved to the settlement. At the time the disengagement was announced there were around 550 residents. Netzarim Settlement: Created in 1972, Netzarim settlement divides the Gaza Strip into two parts. It is located about one kilometer from the coastline and less than one kilometer west of the Gaza Strip's main road – Salah Al Din Street. It was built on 2,200 dunams of land and is home to around 41 settler families. Its name means 'roots.' The location of the settlement was originally at military post in 1967 and later developed into a settlement. Kfar Darom Settlement: This settlement existed before 1948 but was destroyed and then re-built in 1967. It is located in the heart of the Gaza Strip, just 500 meters from the town of Deir Al Balah and about three kilometers from the coastline and the Gaza-Israel border to the west. It was built on the eastern side of Gaza's main road – Salah Al Din Steet. However, the Israeli army later confiscated 15 dunams of land on the western side of the road and built a bridge over it, linking the two parts of the settlement. The settlement is one of the most developed and contains factories, a playground, an ambulance service and offices. It is home to over 200 settlers. Netzer Hazani Settlement: Netzar Hazani was established in 1973, in an area between the towns of Deir Al Balah and Khan Yunis. It is named after Israeli Minister of Agriculture and Welfare, Michael Hazani. It occupies an area of 2,050 dunams of land. Agriculture is the main source of employment and income for its residents. It is home to around 400 settlers, as well as offices belonging to the Israeli Intelligence services and Special Forces and a special detention center for Palestinians. Katif Settlement: Katif was built in 1977, about two kilometers from the coastline of Khan Yunis, on an area of 1,993 dunams. The main activity in this cooperative settlement is agriculture. It contains a hotel and numerous industrial and entertainment facilities. More than 250 settlers live in this settlement. Ganei Tal Settlement: An agricultural settlement located near Khan Yunis coastline, Ganei Tal was established in 1979. It occupies an area of 2,450 dunams of land and is inhabited by about 400 settlers. It borders the Al Amal neighborhood in Khan Yunis. It contains numerous facilities and is one of the Israeli army's strongholds in the Khan Yunis area. Kfar Yam Settlement: Located opposite the Neve Dekalim settlement, Kfar Yam was established in 1987 on the coastline of Khan Yunis, near a military site. It is one of the smaller settlements, occupying an area of 40 dunams. In 1997, the people and municipality successfully prevented the settlement from expanding. Neve Dekalim Settlement: Located about one and a half kilometers from Khan Yunis coastline, this settlement is the central settlement in southern Gaza Strip and is also the largest in all of Gaza. It occupies an area of 2,000 dunams of land and is inhabited by at least 2,000 settlers. It contains schools, synagogues, a university, a hospital, a market and the regional council of settlements. It also contains large industrial activity. This settlement borders numerous Palestinian neighborhoods in Khan Yunis. Gadid Settlement: Established in 1979 about two and a half kilometers from the Khan Yunis coast and just one kilometer west of the Khan Yunis refugee camp, this settlement occupies an area of 1,500 dunams and is inhabited by over 250 settlers. Additionally, it contains numerous facilities, including a synagogue, and health and entertainment facilities. Agriculture is the settlement’s main source of income. Gan Or Settlement: Located about two kilometers from the coast and four kilometers north of the southern border of the Gaza Strip, this settlement was established on 1,692 dunams of land and is inhabited by about 280 settlers. It is an agricultural settlement, which exports flowers and vegetables. It is also the location of an Israeli army installation. Pe’at Sedah Settlement: Located about two kilometers from the Rafah coastline on 1,500 dunams of land, this settlement was established in 1989. There are about 50 settler families living in it. The settlement is located over the old site of a military post. Bedolah Settlement: Located about two and a half kilometers east of the coast of Rafah, Bedolah was established in 1986 on 1,456 dunams of land. It is an agricultural cooperative and contains about 50 families, including 15 families who recently emigrated from France. Atzmona Settlement: Created with the sponsorship of the Likud government in 2001, this settlement lies between the settlements of Bnei Atzmona and Morag. It occupies an area of 500 dunams and contains 24 settlers. The settlement had been established previously, but was abandoned as economically unviable until 2001. Morag Settlement: An isolated settlement in the south of the Gaza Strip, Morag is located east of the main road between Rafah and Khan Yunis. It was established in 1972. It occupies approximately 1,230 dunams of land and is home to about 200 settlers. There is a large Israeli army installation in this settlement. Rafiah Yam Settlement: Rafiah Yam was established in 1984, on an area of 570 dunams. About 120 settlers live in this settlement, most of who work in education, agriculture, tourism and fishing. Bnei Atzmona (Kerem Atzmona) Settlement: This settlement was originally established on the Egyptian side of Rafah in Sinai. It was dismantled following the peace accords between Egypt and Israel in 1982. The Israeli government rebuilt it on the Rafah coastline, in the southern Gaza Strip in 1984. Its name is biblical, and is inhabited by about 450 Jewish settlers, who are considered particularly right wing. It occupies an area of 1,500 dunams. Shirat Hayam Settlement: Established in 2000 under the Labor party, this is a small settlement in the Khan Yunis area. It is inhabited by some 40 settlers. Information about amount of land it is on and the income of its residents is not available. Slav (Shalev) Settlement: Located to the north of the Tel As Sultan neighborhood in Rafah, this is not always considered to have official status as a settlement. It was established near a military post by a group of settlers who opposed the Israeli Civil Administration's plans to house Palestinians outside refugee camps. Settlers abandoned it in the 1980s but returned in 1994. The settlement contains around three settler families and numerous factories owned by settlers residing in settlements close by. Tel Katifa Settlement: This settlement is relatively new and small. It was established in May 1992 under the sponsorship of the Likud Party. It is located near the Khan Yunis coastline, not far from the Netzer Hazani settlement. It occupies 17 dunams of land and is inhabited by four settler families.

Click on any of the settlement locations on the map to access information on the settlement!

Israel’s intention to unilaterally disengage from the Gaza Strip stimulated much debate about the details of the settlements to be evacuated. Information from various sources about these settlements, which were sponsored and supported by successive Israeli governments in violation of international law, is frequently patchy and even contradictory. Al Mezan’s fieldwork unit has thus conducted primary research on the existing settlements that were eventually evacuated during the Disengagement.

In 2005, there were 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip. However, some of them were built during the Al Aqsa Intifada that broke out in 2000, and were not recognized by the Israeli government as official settlements, while others began as mere outposts and were subsequently developed into full settlements.

The settlements were mainly located in two major blocs, one in the north of the Gaza Strip and the other in the south. There were three settlements that were isolated from the two blocs: Netzarim, Kfar Darom and Morag.
This section shows the locations of the settlements on the above map and gives brief information on the history and population of each. Population figures are approximate, since accurate population figures for the settlements were almost impossible to determine

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1- Elei Sinai Settlement:
Located on the northern border of the Gaza Strip about one kilometer from the coastline, this settlement was established in 1983 to absorb settlers who had been evacuated from the Sinai settlement of Yamit in 1982. The settlement occupied about 763 dunums of land, on which 175 dunums were utilized for buildings. Around 300 Jewish settlers were resident in Elei Sinai at the time the intended Disengagement Plan was announced.

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2- Dugit Settlement (The Fishermen’s Village):
Dugit was established in 1990, about two kilometers south of the Gaza-Israel border in northern Gaza, and about one kilometer from the coastline. It occupied about 600 dunums of land and was home to about 70 Israeli settlers. In 1984, an Israeli ministerial committee decided to build the settlement on the location of a military site, for settlers who wished to fish off the Gaza Strip coast. A by-pass road permitted only for the use of settlers was connecting the three northern settlements.

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3- Nisanit Settlement:
Located about five kilometers from the coast in northern Gaza and one and a half kilometers from the northern Gaza border with Israel, Nisanit was established in 1982, by the Israeli army, to welcome newly evacuated settlers from Yamit. It occupied around 1,620 dunums of land. Following Ariel Sharon’s election as Israeli Prime Minister in 2001, a large number of people moved to the settlement. At the time the Unilateral Disengagement was announced, there were around 550 residents.

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4- Netzarim Settlement:
Created in 1972, Netzarim (In Hebrew: “Roots”) settlement was dividing the Gaza Strip into two parts. It was located about one kilometer from the coastline and less than one kilometer west of the Gaza Strip's main road – Salah Al Din Street. It was built on 2,200 dunums of land and was home to around 41 settler families. The location of the settlement was originally a military post in 1967 and later was developed into a settlement.

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5- Kfar Darom Settlement
This settlement existed before 1948 but was destroyed and then re-built in 1967 when Israel re-occupied the Gaza Strip. It was located in the heart of the Strip, just 500 meters from the Palestinian town of Deir Al Balah and about three kilometers from the coastline and the Gaza-Israel border to the west. It was built on the eastern side of Gaza's main road – Salah Al Din Steet. However, the Israeli army later confiscated 15 dunums of Palestinian land on the western side of the road and built a bridge over it, linking the two parts of the settlement. The settlement was one of the most developed and contained factories, a playground, an ambulance service and offices. It was home to over 200 settlers.

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6- Netzer Hazani Settlement
Netzar Hazani was established in 1973, in an area between the towns of Deir Al Balah and Khan Yunis. It is named after Israeli Minister of Agriculture and Welfare, Michael Hazani. It occupied an area of 2,050 dunums of land. Agriculture was the main source of employment and income for its residents. It was home to around 400 settlers, as well as offices belonging to the Israeli Intelligence Services and Special Forces and a detention center for Palestinians.

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7- Katif Settlement
Katif was built in 1977, about two kilometers from the coastline of Khan Younis, on an area of 1,993 dunums. The main activity in this cooperative settlement was agriculture. It contained a hotel and numerous industrial and entertainment facilities. More than 250 settlers lived in this settlement.

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8- Ganei Tal Settlement:
An agricultural settlement located near Khan Younis coastline, Ganei Tal was established in 1979. It occupied an area of 2,450 dunums of land and was inhabited by about 400 settlers. It bordered the Al Amal neighborhood in Khan Yunis. It contained numerous facilities and was one of the Israeli army's strongholds in the Khan Younis area.

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9- Kfar Yam Settlement:
Located opposite the Neve Dekalim settlement, Kfar Yam was established in 1987 on the coastline of Khan Younis, near a military site. It was one of the smaller settlements, occupying an area of 40 dunums. In 1997, the people and municipality successfully prevented the settlement from expanding.

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10- Neve Dekalim Settlement:
Located about one and a half kilometers from the Khan Younis coastline, this settlement was the central settlement in the southern Gaza Strip and also the largest in the entire Strip. It occupied an area of 2,000 dunums of land and was inhabited by at least 2,000 settlers. It contained schools, synagogues, a university, a hospital, a market and the regional council of settlements, and much industrial activity took place there. This settlement bordered numerous Palestinian neighborhoods in Khan Younis.

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11- Gadid Settlement:
Established in 1979 about two and a half kilometers from the Khan Younis coast and just one kilometer west of the Khan Younis refugee camp, this settlement occupied an area of 1,500 dunums and was inhabited by over 250 settlers. Additionally, it contained numerous facilities, including a synagogue, and health and entertainment facilities. Agriculture was the principal source of income for the settlement.

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12- Gan Or Settlement:
Located about two kilometers from the coast and four kilometers north of the southern border of the Gaza Strip, this settlement was established on 1,692 dunums of land and was inhabited by about 280 settlers. It was an agricultural settlement, which exported flowers and vegetables. It was also the location of an Israeli army installation.

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13- Pe’at Sedah Settlement:
Located about two kilometers from the Rafah coastline on 1,500 dunums of land, this settlement was established in 1989. There were about 50 settler families living in it. The settlement was located over the old site of a military post.

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14- Bedolah Settlement:
Located about two and a half kilometers east of the coast of Rafah, Bedolah was established in 1986 on 1,456 dunums of land. It was an agricultural cooperative and contained about 50 families, including 15 families who had recently emigrated from France.

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15- Atzmona Settlement:
Created with the sponsorship of the Likud government in 2001, this settlement was located between the settlements of Bnei Atzmona and Morag. It occupied an area of 500 dunums and contained 24 settlers. The settlement had been established previously, then abandoned as economically unviable until 2001 when it had been rebuilt.

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16- Morag Settlement:
An isolated settlement in the south of the Gaza Strip, Morag was located east of the main road between Rafah and Khan Younis. It was established in 1972. It occupied approximately 1,230 dunums of land and was home to about 200 settlers. There was a large Israeli army installation in this settlement.

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17- Rafiah Yam Settlement:
Rafiah Yam was established in 1984, on an area of 570 dunums. About 120 settlers lived in this settlement, most of whom worked in education, agriculture, tourism and fishing.

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18- Bnei Atzmona (Kerem Atzmona) Settlement:
This settlement was originally established on the Egyptian side of Rafah in Sinai. It was dismantled following the peace accords between Egypt and Israel in 1982. The Israeli government rebuilt it on the Rafah coastline, in the southern Gaza Strip in 1984. Its name is biblical, and it was inhabited by about 450 Jewish settlers, who were considered particularly right wing. It occupied an area of 1,500 dunums.

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19- Shirat Hayam Settlement:
Established in 2000 under the Labor party, this was a small settlement in the Khan Younis area. It was inhabited by some 40 settlers. Information about the amount of land it occupied and on its residents is not available.

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20- Slav (Shalev) Settlement:
Located to the north of the Tel As Sultan neighborhood in Rafah, this settlement was not always considered to have official status as a settlement. It was established near a military post by a group of settlers who opposed the Israeli Civil Administration's plans to house Palestinians outside refugee camps. Settlers abandoned it in the 1980s but returned in 1994. The settlement contained around three settler families and numerous factories owned by settlers residing in settlements close by.

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21- Tel Katifa Settlement:
This settlement was relatively new and small. It was established in May 1992 under the sponsorship of the Likud Party. It was located near the Khan Younis coastline, not far from the Netzer Hazani settlement. It occupied 17 dunums of land and was inhabited by four settler families.

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