Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 29, 2026

Yiftah

Yiftah is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located on the Naftali Mountains of the Upper Galilee, near the Lebanese border, it falls under the jurisdiction of Upper Galilee Regional Council. In 2024 it had a population of 636.

Last revised
Jul 29, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
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Citations
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Wikipedia ↗
Yiftah
Kibbutz
Etymology: He will open
Yiftah
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Yiftah
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Coordinates: 33°7′40″N 35°33′6″E / 33.12778°N 35.55167°E / 33.12778; 35.55167
Country Israel
DistrictNorthern
CouncilUpper Galilee
AffiliationKibbutz Movement
Founded18 August 1948 (18 August 1948)
Founded byDemobilised Palmach soldiers
Population
 (2024)
6361
Websiteyiftah.kibbutz.org.il

Yiftah (Hebrew: יפתח, lit. 'He will open') is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located on the Naftali Mountains of the Upper Galilee, near the Lebanese border, it falls under the jurisdiction of Upper Galilee Regional Council. In 2024 it had a population of 636.1

History

Garden in Yiftah source ↗

Yiftah was founded on 18 August 1948 by demobilised Palmach soldiers who were members of the Yiftach Brigade, after which the kibbutz is named. Yiftah is located near the depopulated Palestinian Arab village of Jahula,2 but on the land belonging to the archaeological site of Tel Kedesh.3 Metzudat Koach is located nearby.

During the Gaza war, northern Israeli border communities, including Yiftah, faced targeted attacks by Hezbollah and Palestinian factions based in Southern Lebanon, and were evacuated.4 On 5 November 2023, a driver operating an Israeli water tank for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) was killed by an anti-tank missile launched by Hezbollah operatives near the kibbutz.5 On 19 December, Hezbollah fired artillery shells at Yiftah.6

  • Yiftah under construction, 1948
    Yiftah under construction, 1948
  • Opening of dining hall with Mount Hermon in distance, 1948
    Opening of dining hall with Mount Hermon in distance, 1948
  • Houses in Yiftah, 1949
    Houses in Yiftah, 1949
  • Workshop for agricultural tools in Yiftah, 1949
    Workshop for agricultural tools in Yiftah, 1949
  • Yiftah fields, 1952
    Yiftah fields, 1952
  • Dining hall of Yiftah, 1952
    Dining hall of Yiftah, 1952
References

References

  1. "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
  2. Morris, Benny (2004). The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited. Cambridge University Press. p. xxi, village #22. ISBN 978-0-521-00967-6.
  3. Khalidi, Walid (1992). All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948. Washington D.C.: Institute for Palestine Studies. p. 485. ISBN 0-88728-224-5.
  4. Fabian, Emanuel. "IDF to evacuate civilians from 28 communities along Lebanese border amid attacks". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  5. אלבז, שמעון (2023-11-08). "מאיר מויאל הוא האזרח שנהרג מנ"ט בגבול לבנון: "נפל בשליחות למען ישראל"". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-12-11.
  6. "حزب الله يعلن استهداف مستوطنة يفتاح بالقذائف ‏المدفعية". قناة الغد (in Arabic). 2023-12-19. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
External links