{{Short description|Former border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip, closed in 2011}} {{pp-extended|small=yes}} {{Infobox bridge |bridge_name= Karni Crossing |image=Gaza Strip map2.svg |caption=Gaza Strip border crossings |official_name= Karni Crossing<br />מעבר קרני<br />معبر كارني |carries=Containers |crosses=Israel-Gaza Strip barrier |locale={{flagicon|ISR}} Israel<br />{{flagicon|Palestine}} Gaza Strip |maint=Israel Airports Authority<br />Palestinian Authority |id= |design= |mainspan= |length= |width= |height= |load= |clearance= |below= |traffic=344 trucks (2007) |begin= |complete= |open=1994 |closed=2011 |toll= |map_cue= |map_image= |map_text= |map_width= |coordinates= |lat= |long= }} {{gaza blockade}} The '''Karni Crossing''' ({{langx|ar|معبر كارني or معبر المنطار}}; {{langx|he|מעבר קרני}}) was a cargo terminal on the Israel-Gaza Strip barrier located in the north-eastern end of the Gaza Strip was used for the export and import of goods to and from Gaza from 1994 to 2011. This was done as a 'back-to-back' transfer, meaning that Palestinian products meant for export were removed from a Palestinian truck and placed in an Israeli truck, and vice versa for incoming goods.<ref>{{cite dictionary |url=http://israel_history.enacademic.com/523/Karni_Crossing |title=Karni Crossing |dictionary=Historical Dictionary of Israel |access-date=8 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708104141/http://israel_history.enacademic.com/523/Karni_Crossing |archive-date=8 July 2018 |via=Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias}}</ref> The Karni Crossing was also used by the residents of Netzarim, since the Karni road was the only route to that isolated Israeli settlement on which Jewish travel was allowed after the 1994 implementation of the Oslo Accords. The crossing has been affected by the Israeli Blockade of the Gaza Strip.
In March 2011, Israel permanently closed the Karni Crossing. In December 2022, the last remaining structures of the crossing were demolished by the Israeli military in order to complete the Gaza–Israel barrier.
According to the management, the crossing was named after Joseph Karni, an Israeli who had set up a modern packing warehouse in the Gaza Strip near the present-day cargo terminal shortly after Israel captured the strip in 1967. The Palestinians called it '''Al-Montar''', after the nearby Tell Ali Muntar.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/en-US/Borders/Karni/AbouttheTerminal/GeneralInformation/| title=Karni Terminal. General Information |work=Israel Airports Authority |access-date=8 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110619083249/http://www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/en-US/Borders/Karni/AbouttheTerminal/GeneralInformation |archive-date=19 June 2011}}</ref>
== History == The Karni Crossing was opened in 1994 after the signing of the Oslo Accords to allow Palestinian merchants to export and import goods.
The Karni Crossing has been attacked several times by Palestinian militants since the beginning of the Second Intifada in 2000, in either mortar attacks or frontal infantry assaults, forcing temporary shut-downs for repairs and enhancement of security procedures. Both Palestinians and Israelis have been killed in these attacks. As a crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip, the Karni Crossing has been used for hostile activities by armed forces from the Palestinian side. Militant Palestinian factions have used the Karni Crossing to smuggle suicide bombers and explosive belts into Israel. The deadliest suicide attack to come through Karni was the Port of Ashdod bombing in 2004.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Palestinian+terror+since+2000/Suicide+bombing+at+Ashdod+Port+14-Mar-2004.htm |title=Suicide bombing at Ashdod Port |date=14 March 2004 |access-date=8 November 2022 |work=Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121218/http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Palestinian+terror+since+2000/Suicide+bombing+at+Ashdod+Port+14-Mar-2004.htm |archive-date=18 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/59450#.UAf7c2E0OFk |title=Ten Jews Murdered in Double Suicide Attack in Ashdod Port |work=Israel National News |date=14 March 2004 |access-date=8 November 2022}}</ref>
In 2006, the Israeli authorities closed the crossing for over 100 days due to terror alerts and rocket fire.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=22023 |title=Peretz to reopen Karni crossing |first=Yaakov |last=Katz |date=17 May 2006 |access-date=8 November 2022 |newspaper=JPost}}</ref> By then, the Karni Crossing was managed by the Israel Airports Authority, unlike the Erez Crossing, which is managed by the Israel Defense Forces. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights released a statement calling for the crossing to be reopened, and saying that the closing of Karni was a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which bans collective punishment.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-01-30 |title=PCHR Warns of the Consequences of the Continued Closure of Al-Muntar (Karni) Checkpoint |url=https://pchrgaza.org/pchr-warns-of-the-consequences-of-the-continued-closure-of-al-muntar-karni-checkpoint/ |access-date=2026-01-20 |website=Palestinian Centre for Human Rights |language=}}</ref>
Between September 2006 and June 2007, the crossing was open daily except for several brief closures due to Palestinian labour strikes.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=203554 |title=IDF set to close Karni crossing into Gaza |first=Tovah |last=Lazaroff |date=13 January 2011 |access-date=8 November 2022 |newspaper=JPost}}</ref> When Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in June 2007, Israel closed the terminal. The previous operators, who were affiliated with Fatah, had fled to the West Bank. Hamas offered to bring Fatah back to Karni or hire a Turkish company to operate the Palestinian side, but Israel has refused to deal with Hamas, the de facto authority in the Gaza Strip. In June 2007, the UNRWA coordinator commended the IDF on moving humanitarian shipments to the secondary Kerem Shalom and Sufa crossings, and hoped that Karni could be reopened as part of a longer-term solution.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/19/world/middleeast/19mideast.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=Karni+crossing&st=nyt |title=Gaza's Economy, Already Fragile, May Collapse Unless Crossings Are Reopened, U.N. Reports |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Steven |last=Erlanger |author-link=Steven Erlanger |first2=Taghreed |last2=El-Khodary |author2-link=Taghreed El-Khodary |first3=Isabel |last3=Kershner |author3-link=Isabel Kershner |date=19 July 2007 |access-date=8 November 2022}}</ref>
At the end of March 2011, Israel permanently shut the Karni Crossing.<ref name="Hamesh">{{cite web |date=10 March 2011 |title=מעבר קרני |url=http://dover.idf.il/IDF/News_Channels/Hamesh/0920.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527081953/http://dover.idf.il/IDF/News_Channels/Hamesh/0920.htm |archive-date=27 May 2011 |access-date=19 July 2012 |work=Israel Defense Forces}}</ref> All of its cargo operations were moved to Kerem Shalom border crossing, and pedestrian traffic was redirected to the Erez Crossing.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last=Fabian |first=Emanuel |title=Israel demolishes disused Gaza cargo terminal to improve defenses in south |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-demolishes-disused-gaza-cargo-terminal-to-improve-defenses-in-south/ |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |issn=0040-7909}}</ref>
In December 2022, over a decade after the crossing was closed, the Israeli military demolished the last remaining structures at the site to enable the completion of the Gaza–Israel barrier.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-04 |title=Israel evacuates Karni crossing, Gaza protests hotspot |url=https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/gaza-news/article-724009 |access-date=2026-01-20 |website=The Jerusalem Post |language=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-07 |title=Israel dismantles unused Gaza crossing to extend barrier |url=https://thearabweekly.com/israel-dismantles-unused-gaza-crossing-extend-barrier |access-date=2026-01-20 |website=The Arab Weekly}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Yakir |first=Shai |date=2022-12-04 |title=Israel evacuating Karni crossing to complete Gaza barrier |url=https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/defense/1670141361-israel-evacuating-karni-crossing-to-complete-gaza-barrier |access-date=2026-01-20 |website=www.i24news.tv}}</ref>
== See also == {{Portal|Israel }} * Israeli checkpoint * Karni border crossing attack * Rafah Border Crossing
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{wikinews|Suicide attack at Karni crossing between Gaza Strip, Israel}} *{{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20090216125522/https://www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/he-IL/Borders/Karni/}} *{{cite news|url=http://www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/en-US/Borders/Karni | title=Karni Terminal info| publisher=Israel Airports Authority}} *{{cite news|url=https://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1064.html |title=Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. Country Specific Information |publisher=Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100924061815/http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1064.html |archive-date=2010-09-24 }} *{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/19/world/middleeast/19gaza.html?scp=1&sq=Isolation%20of%20Gaza%20Chokes%20Off%20Trade&st=cse| title=Isolation of Gaza Chokes Off Trade| work=The New York Times| author=Steve Erlanger | date=2007-09-19}} *{{cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/Business/BusinessNews/Article.aspx?id=71300| title=FICC calls on Olmert, Barak to reopen Karni crossing to Gaza | publisher=The Jerusalem Post| author=Matthew Krieger | date=2007-08-08}} *{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E1D91431F937A35750C0A9609C8B63&scp=2&sq=Choked%20Passages%20to%20Frustration&st=cse| title=Gaza Crossings: Choked Passages to Frustration | work=The New York Times| author=Greg Myre | date=2006-03-04}}
{{Israel border crossings}} {{Israel Airports Authority}}
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Category:Transport infrastructure completed in 1994 Category:Israel–Gaza Strip border crossings Category:Gaza–Israel conflict Category:1994 establishments in Palestine Category:2010s disestablishments in Palestine