Located east of Rafah city, the al-Awda or Sufa crossing is also designated for one-way cargo movement from Israel into the Gaza Strip.

Sometimes, this crossing is used as a substitute for Mintar crossing (also known as Karni) for the entry of basic food supplies. However, it is much smaller in size compared to Mintar and movement is usually restricted to construction material.

OPERATIONS

The crossing is under full Israeli control and operates sporadically. Movement of goods and inspection procedures are governed by Israeli authorities, who have been arbitrary in granting permissions. Transfer of shipments from the Israeli side into Gaza consumes several hours and is quite tedious. After the Israeli trucks unload the goods, they are required to evacuate before Palestinians are permitted to enter the premises to upload the cargo on their trucks. Movement on both sides of the crossing does not exceed 200 truckloads daily.

Currently, the crossing is completely closed. According to a report by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, the crossing remained open for only 65 days during 2008.