# Elei Sinai > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Elei_Sinai > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Elei_Sinai.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elei_Sinai > Source revision: 1357111142 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Former Israeli settlement in the Gaza Strip This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Elei Sinai" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Former Israeli settlement Elei Sinai אֱלֵי סִינַי‎ (Hebrew) Former Israeli settlement Elei Sinai Coordinates: 31°35′01″N 34°30′09″E / 31.58361°N 34.50250°E / 31.58361; 34.50250 Founded 1982 Population (2004) 389 **Elei Sinai** ([Hebrew](/source/Hebrew_language): אֱלֵי סִינַי, [lit.](/source/Literal_translation) 'Towards Sinai') was an [Israeli settlement](/source/Israeli_settlement) in the north of the [Gaza Strip](/source/Gaza_Strip). In 2005, it had a population of 389.[1] During the [Gaza war](/source/Gaza_war), the site came under full operational control of the Israel Defense Forces and is currently used as a military outpost.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] ## Founding Elei Sinai was established in 1982 ([Sukkot](/source/Sukkot) 5743) by a group who had been evicted from [Yamit](/source/Yamit) in the [Sinai Peninsula](/source/Sinai_Peninsula).[1] It was named for the yearning to return to the Sinai desert, where Yamit was located. Avi Farhan, a Yamit expellee, and Arik Herfez, whose daughter had been killed by Palestinian militants, were two of the most notable residents. ## Unilateral Disengagement Residents of Elei Sinai camping in [Yad Mordechai](/source/Yad_Mordechai), just over the border from their former homes. Among the arguments in opposition to [Israel's unilateral disengagement plan](/source/Israel's_unilateral_disengagement_plan), which stated that the settlers should be evicted from Elei Sinai, was a proposal by Farhan allowing the settlers to remain in their homes as Palestinian citizens,[2][3] an idea the Palestinians and the Israeli government rejected. The residents had actually left their homes voluntarily but returned after realizing that the government had no place to send them.[*[clarification needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify)*] After the eviction, a group of fifty families established themselves at the [Yad Mordechai](/source/Yad_Mordechai) junction as a protest that the government hadn't found a community solution for them. Others were sent to the Shirat HaYam hotel. The rest of the settlement later split into a few groups, including those now found in: - [Karmia](/source/Karmia), who were promised future homes in [Talmei Yafeh](/source/Talmei_Yafeh) close to [Ashkelon](/source/Ashkelon). - [Or HaNer](/source/Or_HaNer), who were promised future homes in the [Bat Hadar](/source/Bat_Hadar) neighborhood close to Ashkelon. Farhan and a part of his family establish a new group and hope to establish a new community in the center of the country. The government agreed in 2006 to acclimatize this group in [Palmachim](/source/Palmachim). ## 2023 Gaza war The site of Elei Sinai was captured by the IDF following the [invasion of its ground forces into the Gaza Strip](/source/Gaza_war) on October 27, 2023. Their entry into Elei Sinai was part of a pincer move to surround Gaza City, located to the south of Elei Sinai.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) ["At-a-glance: Gaza pullout"](https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4159354.stm). 2005-08-21. Retrieved 2025-04-13. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Laila El-Haddad (4 Jul 2005). ["Interview: Israeli settler Avi Farhan"](http://www.aljazeera.com/archive/2005/07/200849154036429462.html). Aljazeera. Retrieved 18 January 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Nir Hasson (4 February 2005). ["Some settlers choose Gaza over citizenship"](https://web.archive.org/web/20121021073105/http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/some-settlers-choose-gaza-over-citizenship-1.149326). *Haaretz*. Archived from [the original](https://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/some-settlers-choose-gaza-over-citizenship-1.149326) on October 21, 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2014. v t e Former Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip (Hof Aza Regional Council) Gush Katif Bedolah Bnei Atzmon Gadid Gan Or Ganei Tal Katif Kerem Atzmona Kfar Darom Kfar Yam Morag Netzer Hazani Neve Dekalim Pe'at Sadeh Rafiah Yam Shirat HaYam Slav Tel Katifa Other Dugit Elei Sinai Nisanit Netzarim Authority control databases: National Israel --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Elei Sinai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elei_Sinai) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elei_Sinai?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.