Lakhish River

Ashdod (Hebrew: אַשְׁדּוֹד, romanized: ʾašdōḏ, pronounced [ʔaʃˈdod] ; Arabic: أسدود, romanized: ʾasdūd, pronounced [ʔasˈduːd], or إسدود, ʾisdūd [ʔɪsˈduːd]; Philistine: 𐤀𐤔𐤃𐤃‎, romanized: *ʾašdūd) is the sixth-largest city in Israel. Located in the country's Southern District, it lies on the Mediterranean coast 32 kilometres (20 miles) south of Tel Aviv and 20 km (12 mi) north of Ashkelon. The city was named after the historical town of Ashdod, located c.6 km southeast, which dates originally to the 17th century BCE as one of the five Philistine city-states. The ruins of Ashdod-Yam also lie on the coast to the southwest of the city center and adjacent to the city's expanding suburbs. Modern Ashdod was established in 1956 on the sand hills 6km northwest of the historical Ashdod, then known as Isdud, a Palestinian town which had been depopulated during the Nakba in 1948. It was incorporated as a city in 1968, with a land-area of approximately 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi). Being a planned city, expansion followed a main development plan, which facilitated traffic and prevented air pollution in the residential areas, despite population growth. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, Ashdod had a population of 225,975 in 2021, with an area of 47,242 dunams (47.242 km2; 18.240 sq mi).Ashdod is today a major Israeli city, and contains the largest port in Israel accounting for 60% of the country's imported goods. Ashdod today is home to the largest Moroccan and Karaite Jewish communities in Israel, and to the largest Georgian Jewish community in the world. It is also an important regional industrial center.

The Yud-Alef Stadium (Hebrew: אצטדיון הי"א, Etztadion HaYudAlef, lit. The 11 Stadium) is a football stadium in Ashdod, Israel, that was built for local football sides Maccabi Ashdod, Beitar Ashdod (both merged in 1981 to form Maccabi Ironi Ashdod) and Hapoel Ashdod (merged with Ironi Ashdod in 1999 to create F.C. Ashdod). The stadium was given the name "Yud-Alef" in 1973, after the eleven Israeli athletes murdered in the Munich massacre (Yud-Alef is used in Hebrew numerals used to represent the number 11). The naming ceremony took place on 17 July 1973, when the stadium hosted the final of the 1973 Maccabiah Games.There are four stands in the stadium which is not aesthetically pleasing. The stadium is also thought to be one of the few in the world where the home fans have fewer seats than the visitors. There are a total of 4,000 seats in gates three and four (set aside for visiting supporters). Gates one and two together hold only 3,420 giving the local side a disadvantage when a bigger club comes to town. In a recent article in Yedioth Ahronoth, it was found that the stadium was not built properly and is not safe. The only parts that were deemed safe were the locker rooms and showers. In January 2015 the stadium management unveiled a new a revamped VIP stand.On 29 August 2006 the fences surrounding the pitch were removed to make for better sightliness for visitors to the stadium.

Nir Galim (Hebrew: נִיר גַּלִּים, lit. 'Waves Meadow') is a religious moshav shitufi in south-central Israel, adjacent to the city of Ashdod. Located in the southern coastal plain, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Yavne Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 1,387.

Assuta Ashdod Medical Center is a general hospital in Ashdod, Israel. It began operation on June 4, 2017, and was opened in stages, assuming full operation in November 2017. The hospital has 300 beds and serves the population of Ashdod and its suburbs.For decades the local government of Ashdod struggled to establish a public hospital. Ashdod residents in need of hospitalization needed to travel to Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot or Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon. In 2002 the Knesset accepted a law proposed by MK Sofa Landver which forced the state to build the hospital. However the tender was released only in 2009. Despite multiple objections the tender was won by Assuta (a subsidiary of Maccabi Healthcare Services). Assuta Ashdod has partnered with Ben Gurion University's Medical School to train Israel's next generation of doctors. The hospital is fully prepared for security crises, including terrorist incidents and rocket attacks. Its “bomb-shelter” design with thick concrete walls offers extensive protection, with no need to move patients from operating rooms, ICU, inpatient wards, and other critical areas in the event of a missile attack. Assuta Ashdod is Israel's first eco-friendly hospital, meeting standards for green construction and operations.

Bnei Darom (Hebrew: בְּנֵי דָּרוֹם, lit. 'Sons of the South') is a religious moshav shitufi in central Israel. Located near the Mediterranean coast, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Yavne Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 950.

'Arab Suqrir (Arabic: عرب صقرير) was a Palestinian Arab village in the Gaza Subdistrict, located 38 kilometers (24 mi) northeast of Gaza in a flat area with an elevation of 25 meters (82 ft) along the coastal plain just north of Isdud. The total land area of the village was 40,224 dunams, of which 12,270 was Arab-owned, while the remainder was public property. In 1931, it had a population of 530, decreasing to 390 in 1945. It was destroyed and depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Gederot Regional Council (Hebrew: מועצה אזורית גדרות, Mo'atza Azorit Gderot) is a regional council in the Central District of Israel. It is located between Ashdod, Yavne and Gedera and covers an area of 13,000 dunams. Founded in 1953, it was named after a biblical town in the allotment of the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:41) Its population is 4,200. It borders on Brenner Regional Council to the north, Hevel Yavne Regional Council to the west, Be'er Tuvia Regional Council and Gan Yavne to the south, and the city of Gedera to the east.

Ashdod Ad Halom railway station (Hebrew: אשדוד עד הלום) (also known as Ashdod Darom) is a railway station in Ashdod, Israel. It is served by the Binyamina–Tel Aviv–Ashkelon and the Ra'anana–Tel Aviv–Ashkelon–Beersheba suburban lines. Ashdod Ad Halom Station was opened in June 1995 and was fully rebuilt in 2003. Between 1917 and 1947, a small station serving the town of Isdud had also operated at the site, constructed by the British on the Rafah–Gaza–Lydda line. The station is in the Ad Halom area near the eastern entrance to the city of Ashdod. Two bus lines serve the station, one traveling through the 'city' to the central bus station and on to the terminus at Ashdod Marina. Until 2013 the travel time from the station to Tel Aviv was 45 minutes. However, since the completion of the new railway through Holon and the new Yavne West Railway Station on 4 August 2013 the travel time from Tel Aviv to the station has been reduced to approximately 35 minutes in each direction. A further reduction in travel time is expected in the future following the planned electrification of the railways serving the station. The station contains a small beverage and refreshment kiosk.

Gan HaDarom (Hebrew: גַּן הַדָּרוֹם, lit. Garden of the South) is a moshav in southern Israel. Located on the coastal plain near Ashdod, it falls under the jurisdiction of Gederot Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 633.

Shtulim (Hebrew: שְׁתוּלִים, lit. Planted) is a moshav in south-central Israel. Located near Ashdod, it falls under the jurisdiction of Be'er Tuvia Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 2,121.

The HaKirya Arena (Hebrew: היכל טוטו הקריה, Heyhal Toto HaKirya) is an indoor sporting arena located in Ashdod, Israel. The arena opened in 2000 and is home for the Maccabi Ashdod and Maccabi Bnot Ashdod basketball clubs. The arena has 1534 permanent seats and 666 seats in removable stands. For basketball games it has a capacity of 2,200, which is reduced to 1534 for handball matches. There are plans to build a 5,000-capacity arena near the "Lakhish park", In the north of the city.

Jisr Isdud or Isdud Bridge, also known as the Ad Halom Bridge, was a 13th century Mamluk bridge built over the Lakhish River (Wadi Sukrir/Wadi Fakhira). It is located approximately 1.5 km north of the Ad Halom junction. The bridge is similar in style and history to the nearby Jisr Jindas and Yibna Bridge.The bridge is used today by pedestrians and cyclists.