Kfar Yam

{{Short description|Former Israeli settlement in the Gaza Strip}} {{pp-extended|small=yes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2025}} {{expand Russian|topic=geo|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox Kibbutz |settlement_type=Former [[Israeli settlement]] |pushpin_map=Israel gaza |pushpin_mapsize= 250 |pushpin_label_position= |coordinates = {{coord|31|21|09|N|34|15|31|E|display=inline,title}} |name= Kfar Yam |image= File:Sender-kfaryam01.jpg |caption= |imgsize= |hebname={{Script/Hebrew|כְּפַר יָם}} |arname= |stdHeb= |altOffSp= |altUnoSp= |meaning= |foundation={{Start date and age|1983}} |founded_by= |country=[[Palestine]] |district= |council= |affiliation= |population= |popyear= |area_dunam= |website= }} '''Kfar Yam''' ({{langx|he|כְּפַר יָם|4=Sea Village}}), sometimes spelled '''Kefar Yam''' or '''Kfar Hayam''' in English, was a small non-religious community established in 1983 and populated by four families.<ref>[http://www.palestine-pmc.com/details.asp?cat=3&id=596 Settlements in Focus]</ref> It was part of the [[Gush Katif]] bloc of [[Israeli settlement#Gaza Strip|Gaza Strip Israeli Settlements]] that were evacuated and abandoned in the 2005 [[Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip]].

== Location == [[File:Central south, Gaza strip may 2005 (cropped).jpg|left|thumb|Map of the Gaza Strip in May 2005, showing Kfar Yam (labelled "Kefar Yam") in the lower left]] Kfar Yam was located among the [[Gush Katif]] settlements on the coast of the [[Gaza Strip]], roughly {{Convert|4|km|mi}} northwest of [[Khan Yunis]]. It was near the settlements of [[Shirat HaYam]] to the northeast and [[Gan Or]] to the south. [[Neve Dekalim]], to the southeast, was the nearest town-sized Israeli settlement, and the Tofah checkpoint separated the Gush Katif settlement area from Khan Yunis.

The buildings of the settlement were located on the sand dunes directly overlooking the seashore.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Huberman |first=Haggai |last2=Eldar |first2=Naomi |others= |title=Gush Katif Album |url=https://mkatif.org/landing/catalogen/68-69/#zoom=true |access-date=2025-12-06 |website=mkatif.org |publisher=Gush Katif and Northern Samaria Heritage Center |pages=68–69}}</ref> In 2005, there was also a short-lived Israeli outpost located nearby. It was called "Sea Song" and had an area of about 5 dunams.<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://www.arij.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/83.pdf |title=Report on the Israeli Colonization Activities in the West Bank & the Gaza Strip |date=June 2005 |publisher=[[Applied Research Institute Jerusalem]] |volume=83 |page=12 |access-date=2025-12-06}}</ref> ==History== Kfar Yam was established on public land which had been a holiday village for officers of the [[Occupation of the Gaza Strip by the United Arab Republic|occupying Egyptian Army]] in the 1960s.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kfar Yam |url=https://mkatif.org/katipedia/gush-katif-settlements/kfar-yam/?lang=en |access-date=2025-12-06 |website=Gush Katif Heritage Center |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1964, 15 cabins were built on the land by the Khan Yunis municipality, and the leaseholder rights were given to two [[Palestinians]] from Khan Yunis.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=1997-04-28 |title=Tensions Raised in the Gaza Strip by Israeli settler provocations. |url=https://pchrgaza.org/tensions-raised-in-the-gaza-strip-by-israeli-settler-provocations/ |access-date=2025-12-06 |website=Palestinian Centre for Human Rights |language=en}}</ref>

In 1971, the Israeli government took over authority of the land from the Khan Yunis municipality and began demanding rent from the Palestinians who had been living there. According to the [[Palestinian Centre for Human Rights]] (PCHR), one Israeli settler took over five of the cabins and established Kfar Yam as an informal settlement with an area of about 40 dunams.<ref name=":1" /> Then in 1983, after Israel withdrew from the [[Sinai Peninsula]] as a result of the [[Egypt–Israel peace treaty]], the Israeli authorities refused to renew the lease and evicted the Palestinian residents, saying that the area had been leased out to the Israeli Regional Settlements Council. The residents challenged their eviction in court, but were unsuccessful.<ref name=":1" /> Originally, the [[Gaza coast Regional Council]], which was overseeing Israeli settlement in the area, wanted to use the cabins for tourism purposes, but Israeli military officials objected, citing security concerns. Ultimately, the settlement was approved after Israeli General {{Interlanguage link|Moshe Bar-Kochva|he|משה בר כוכבא}} intervened, directing the military officials to come up with plans to develop the settlement.<ref name=":0" />

After the initial establishment, a handful of other additional settlers came to Kfar Yam.<ref name=":0" /> When describing early living conditions there, former residents have said that they did not have electricity and had inconsistent access to running water.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Datya Itzhaki |url=https://www.israelstory.org/episode/datya-itzhaki/ |access-date=2025-12-06 |website=Israel Story |language=en}}</ref> New arrivals would sometimes decide to renovate the old buildings, or would build new ones to live in.<ref name=":0" />

In the 1990s, there were a number of disputes and clashes between the Israeli residents of Kfar Yam and the Palestinian residents of the surrounding [[Al-Mawasi, Rafah|Al-Mawasi]] area.<ref name=":1" />

In the months before the disengagement and removal of the Israeli settlers, there were some attempts at organized, militiant resistance to the disengagement, some of which was led by right-wing activist and military historian {{Interlanguage link|Aryeh Yitzhaki|he|אריה יצחקי}}, who lived in Kfar Yam at the time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hasson |first=Nir |date=2005-01-16 |title=Extremists Resorting to Scare Tactics Against Disengagement |url=https://www.haaretz.com/2005-01-16/ty-article/extremists-resorting-to-scare-tactics-against-disengagement/0000017f-e20c-d38f-a57f-e65ec45e0000 |access-date=2025-12-06 |website=Haaretz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Saban |first=Itzik |date=2005-06-23 |title=What about my teddy bear? |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/article/3102891 |access-date=2025-12-06 |work=Ynetglobal |language=en}}</ref> On 18 August 2005, the day of the removal, Yitzhaki led a group of about 40 protesters (including his family, a handful of other residents, and a group of boys) in a standoff with police. According to Ynet, there were "at least four" of them were armed and standing on the roof, having barricaded themselves in.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2005-08-18 |title=Forces storm militant settler's home |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/article/3129848 |access-date=2025-12-06 |work=Ynet Global |language=en}}</ref> Yitzhaki was among them and made verbal threats toward the police, saying that they were armed and would shoot if the police stormed the compound.<ref name=":2" /> After hours of negotiation with police, the group agreed to surrender and was evacuated.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Plushnick-Masti |first=Ramit |date=2005-08-19 |title=Israeli troops, settlers clash |url=https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/2005/08/19/israeli-troops-settlers-clash/50906066007/ |access-date=2025-12-06 |website=Cape Cod Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stevens |first=Kristen |date=2005-08-19 |title=Israel resumes Gaza pullout after violent clashes with protesters |url=https://www.fosters.com/story/news/2005/08/19/israel-resumes-gaza-pullout/53174767007/ |access-date=2025-12-06 |website=Foster's Daily Democrat |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Population == According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), the official population of the settlement was 10 as of 1997, but the PCHR disputed this number, claiming that the site was really only occupied by one settler named Amos.<ref name=":1" /> As of 2005, there were two families who lived in Kfar Yam;<ref name=":0" /> these families were evacuated on 18 August 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2005-08-21 |title=Gaza disengagement - Situation report (19-21 August 2005) - OCHA report |url=https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-207840/ |access-date=2025-12-06 |website=[[United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Legacy and impact == After the evacuation, some of the buildings were demolished, and others only partially demolished. A December 2005 environmental assessment found [[asbestos]] in some of the debris and in the roofing of a partially demolished building, but did not note any other environmental pollutants.<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://unispal.un.org/pdfs/DEP_0810_GE.pdf |title=Environmental Assessment of the Areas Disengaged by Israel in the Gaza Strip |date=March 2006 |publisher=United Nations Environment Programme |pages=76–79 |isbn=92-807-2697-8}}</ref>

There is a street named for Kfar Yam in the Israeli city of [[Netivot]].<ref>{{Cite map|title=Driving directions to Kfar Yam Street|publisher=[[Waze]]|url=https://www.waze.com/live-map/directions/il/south-district/netivot/kfar-yam-street?to=place.ChIJw67KKfZ-AhURX9MEQ8Qkq7U|access-date=2025-12-06}}</ref>

== See also == {{Portal|Israel|Palestine}} {{Div col}} * [[Al-Mawasi, Rafah]] * [[Hof Aza Regional Council]] * [[Israeli outpost]] * [[List of ghost towns by country]] * [[List of Israeli settlements]] * [[List of villages depopulated during the Arab–Israeli conflict]] {{End div col}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == * {{Commons category-inline}}

[[Category:Former Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip]] [[Category:Populated places established in 1983]] [[Category:Villages depopulated during the Arab–Israeli conflict]] [[Category:1983 establishments in the Israeli Civil Administration area]] [[Category:2005 disestablishments in Palestine]]