Netafim Border Crossing

Netafim Crossing מעבר נטפים
View of the Netafim desert
Crosses	Israel-Egypt Border
Official name	Netafim Crossing מעבר נטפים
Maintained by	Israel Airports Authority
Netafim Crossing Location of the Netafim Crossing at Israel-Egypt border

Coordinates: 29°35′56″N 34°52′04″E / 29.59889°N 34.86778°E / 29.59889; 34.86778

The Netafim Border Crossing (Hebrew: מעבר נטפים‎‎) is a border crossing between Israel and Egypt. It is located adjacent to Highway 12, about 12 km north of Eilat, 1 km north west of Ein Netafim. The control of the border crossing was handed over to the Israel Airports Authority in 1980; nowadays it is closed. Very seldom it is reopened under special circumstances. There are plans to reopen the border crossing passage as alternative during festivals, in coordination with the Egyptian authorities.

The border line is guarded accurately on both sides, on the Israeli side alongside Highway 12 (one of the two accommodation roads to Eilat) by the Israel Border Police and on the Egyptian side from some army positions.

The border crossing is in the proximity of the Israel National Trail, but not exactly on the route, nevertheless many wanderers, who have lost their way, arrive at the border crossing to drink some water.

Today's border crossing sits at the eastern end of a mountain pass used by important roads throughout history. The medieval hajj road to Mecca coming from Egypt and the Maghreb passed through here, meeting with the one coming from Syria a little to the southeast, at the town of Aylah - modern-day Aqaba, the twin city of Eilat. The road coming from Egypt had to cross through a mountain pass in Sinai named either 'Aqabat Aylah ("the ascent of 'Aylah), Naqb al-'Aqabah ("the mountain pass of Aqaba") or Ras an-Naqb ("the head/promontory of the mountain pass"). Netafim/Ras an-Naqb keeps its strategic importance until today. The Egyptian military has a base at what is commonly spelled in Egypt as Ras El Naqb, and there is also an airport located there.