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Quneitra Crossing
Coordinates	33°06′46″N 35°48′57″E / 33.1128°N 35.8158°E / 33.1128; 35.8158
Carries	Pedestrians, commercial goods, humanitarian missions
Crosses	Ceasefire line between Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and territory claimed by Syria
Locale	Ein Zivan, Golan Heights Quneitra, Syria
Official name	Quneitra Crossing מעבר קוניטרה تقاطع القنيطرة
Maintained by	Israel Defense Forces and United Nations International Committee of the Red Cross
Location

The Quneitra Crossing (Template:Lang-ar, Template:Lang-he) is an access point through the purple ceasefire line between Syrian controlled territory and the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights. It is on the southwestern outskirts of Quneitra, and not far from Ein Zivan in the Golan Heights. Syrian Druze from the Golan Heights are permitted to cross through the passage to study, work and live in Syria. The crossing is also used for the transfer of apples grown by Druze farmers under the auspices of the Red Cross. The only concrete guard post along the ceasefire line is at the Quneitra crossing.

History

The opening of a crossing at Quneitra took place after the Yom Kippur War in 1973. The UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) established its headquarters along the border. In order to carry out its work, UNDOF needed to move freely between Israel and Syria.

Since 2004, Druze have transferred apples to Syria through the crossing. In 2010, some 10,000 tons of apples grown by Druze farmers in the Golan Heights were sent to Syria. In 2010, the Israeli government authorized a pilgrimage to Syria by a group of 300 Druze citizens of Israel interested in visiting religious sites there. A group of dancers from five Druze villages in the Golan Heights was sent to Aleppo to perform in a dabka competition. Israeli Druze civilians are permitted to cross the border at Quneitra for university studies and marriage. Since 1993, 67 Syrian brides have crossed into the Golan Heights and 11 brides from the Golan have crossed into Syria through the Quneitra crossing. This issue was the topic of the award winning movie, The Syrian Bride.

The terminal usually closes at 6 p.m. but can be opened at any time to handle humanitarian emergencies, such as the transfer to Israel of a Druze dentistry student who suffered a stroke while studying in Syria.

On 6 June 2013 the crossing was attacked by Syrian rebels and temporarily occupied. Syrian government forces were able to quickly retake the crossing. A Filipino peacekeeper of the UNDOF was wounded during the fighting. As a result the Austrian government announced to withdraw its troops from the UN mission.

On 27 August 2014 Syrian rebels again occupied the crossing.

• Apples grown by Israeli civilians in the Golan Heights being transferred to Syria via the Quneitra crossing
• Apple transferres to Syria at Quneitra crossing, February 2011

References

1. Druze women protest in call to open Golan border crossing Haaretz, Oct. 8, 2007
2. Druze Farmers in Israel's Golan Heights Sell Apples to Syria NPR, March 14, 2005
3. Syrian refugees to seek shelter in Israel?
4. A fragile calm
5. Israeli trucks cross into Syria in annual 'apple invasion'
6. Israeli Druze to go on historic visit to Syria
7. Hebrew press sees thaw in Syria-Israel relations
8. "Worldandnation: Golan families dream of reunion". Sptimes.com. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
9. One way ticket for Druze Syrian brides
10. Patient transferred from Syria to Israel
11. "Österreich zieht seine Blauhelme von umkämpften Golanhöhen ab". Der Standard (in German). 6 June 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
12. "Austria to withdraw Golan Heights peacekeepers over Syrian fighting". The Guardian. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
13. Syrian Rebels Take Control of Crossing in the Golan accessdate=2014-08-28

External links

• US Consular Information Sheet - Israel, the West Bank and Gaza
• ICRC activities in the occupied Golan

v t e Israeli border crossings and checkpoints
Israel's Mutually recognised international borders	Egypt Taba Border Crossing Nitzana Border Crossing Netafim Border Crossing (closed)  Jordan Yitzhak Rabin Crossing Jordan River Crossing Allenby Bridge King Abdullah Bridge (destroyed)  Lebanon Rosh HaNikra Crossing Fatima Gate (closed)
Crossings at or within Israeli-occupied territories  Gaza Strip and  Egypt Rafah Border Crossing Gaza envelope and  Gaza Strip Erez Crossing Kerem Shalom crossing Closed Karni crossing Witin the Occupied West Bank Checkpoint 300 in Bethlehem Huwara checkpoint Qalandia checkpoint Golan Heights and the rest of  Syria Quneitra Crossing (ceasefire line crossing)
Israeli-occupied territories, Controlled by invading Israeli forces since May 2024.

v t e Syrian border crossings
with  Lebanon:	Masnaa Arida Dabbusiyah Jawsiyah
with  Jordan:	Nasib Daraa
with  Iraq:	Al-Qa'im Al Waleed Semalka Al-Yarubiyah
with  Turkey:	Ayn al-Arab Bab al-Hawa Bab al-Salame Al-Darbasiyah Jarabulus Kasab Ras al-Ayn Tell Abyad Qamishli
with Israeli-occupied Golan Heights:	Quneitra Crossing (ceasefire line)

33°06′46″N 35°48′57″E / 33.11278°N 35.81583°E / 33.11278; 35.81583

• Israel–Syria border crossings
• Golan Heights