Fatima Gate (Good Fence)

Fatima Gate — officially named Fatima Gate by Lebanon, and called the Good Fence by Israel — is the former border crossing at the very northern tip of Metula, right at the Lebanese frontier. The metal gate and observation tower are visible from the road at the end of the main street, and you can walk up to the perimeter fence.

It is a sobering and historically loaded place. On the Lebanese side you can see the Hezbollah village of Kfar Kila and sometimes hear the muezzin from its mosque. The contrast between the well-maintained Israeli border infrastructure and the more worn Lebanese side is stark. A small museum near the crossing explains the history of the "Good Fence" period, when the crossing served as an unusual humanitarian conduit between two technically hostile countries.

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From 1976 to 2000, the 'Good Fence' border crossing was kept open so that Lebanese civilians — especially those from the South Lebanon Army-controlled zone — could cross into Israel for medical treatment, trade, and work. Tens of thousands of people crossed in both directions. The crossing closed when Israel withdrew from South Lebanon in 2000 and has remained shut since.

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