Isdud

Ashdod (Philistine: 𐤀𐤔𐤃𐤃 *ʾašdūd; Hebrew: אַשְׁדּוֹד, romanized: ʾašdōḏ; Arabic: أسدود, romanized: ʾasdūd) or Azotus (Koinē Greek: Ἄζωτος, romanized: azōtos) was an ancient Levantine metropolis situated at Tel Ashdod, an archaeological site co-located with the remains of the former Ottoman-era and now depopulated Palestinian village of Isdud, a few kilometers south of the modern Ashdod in present-day Israel. The first documented urban settlement at Ashdod dates to the 17th century BCE, when it was a fortified Canaanite city, before being destroyed in the Bronze Age Collapse. During the Iron Age, it was one of the five cities of the Philistine pentapolis, and is mentioned 13 times in the Hebrew Bible. After being captured by Uzziah, it was briefly ruled by the Kingdom of Judah before changing hands between the Neo-Assyrian Empire, the Neo-Babylonian Empire and the later Achaemenid Empire. In the Hellenistic period, following the conquests of Alexander the Great, the city became known as Azotus. It was later incorporated into the Hasmonean kingdom. During the 1st century BCE, Pompey removed the city from Judean rule and annexed it to the Roman province of Syria. Ashdod was a bishopric under Byzantine rule, but its importance diminished over the course of the Medieval period.There was ongoing habitation at the site in the early modern period through to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, when the then village of Isdud was depopulated when its population fled or were expelled. Today, the site is an archaeological site that is open to the public, with visible remains of Isdud and earlier historical ruins, thought to date back to the Philistine period.

Operation Pleshet (Hebrew: מִבְצָע פְּלֶשֶׁת, Mivtza Pleshet) was an Israeli military action near the village of Isdud from May 29 to June 3, 1948 during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Isdud was on the Israeli southern front against the Egyptian Army, and the operation was aimed at capturing the village and stopping the Egyptian advance northwards. While only the June 2–3 engagements are officially named Operation Pleshet, the events immediately preceding are historiographically joined with it. The preceding events consisted of an aerial bombardment, followed by small-scale Israeli harassment of the Egyptian lines, and later a ground assault (Operation Pleshet). The original plan was to attack on June 1–2, but this was canceled due to an impending ceasefire, and re-attempted on June 2–3. The Israelis, under the Givati Brigade's umbrella command, attacked in two main forces: one from the north (3 companies) and one from the south (4 reinforced companies). The Israelis had little intelligence on their enemy and were forced to retreat. They failed to capture territory, and suffered heavy casualties. However, following the operation, Egypt changed its strategy from offensive to defensive, thus halting their advance northwards. Two unsettled historiographic debates exist revolving around the operation: whether the Egyptians were intending to advance toward Tel Aviv, which most historians agree was not the case; and whether the operation was a turning point on the Israeli southern front. Traditional Israeli historiography, supported by early Arab accounts, maintains that it was a turning point, while later Arab sources, and New Historians, dispute this.

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.

Ad Halom (Hebrew: עַד הֲלוֹם) is a site at the eastern entrance to the city of Ashdod, Israel, where three bridges cross the Lakhish River.

Sde Uziyahu (Hebrew: שְׂדֵה עוֹזִיָּהוּ, lit. Uzziah Field) is a moshav in southern Israel. Located near the city of Ashdod, it falls under the jurisdiction of Be'er Tuvia Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 1,586.

Emunim (Hebrew: אֱמוּנִים, lit. the faithful) is a moshav in central Israel. Located near Ashdod, it falls under the jurisdiction of Be'er Tuvia Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 1,011.

Beit Ezra (Hebrew: בֵּית עֶזְרָא, lit. House of Ezra) is a moshav in southern Israel. Located between Ashdod and Ashkelon on the Israeli coastal plain, it falls under the jurisdiction of Be'er Tuvia Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 1,105.

Ezer (Hebrew: עֵזֶר) is a community settlement in southern Israel. Located between Ashdod and Ashkelon near the Mediterranean coast, it falls under the jurisdiction of Be'er Tuvia Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 811.

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.

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.

Giv'ati (Hebrew: גִּבְעָתִי) is a moshav in southern Israel. Located near Ashdod, it falls under the jurisdiction of Be'er Tuvia Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 1,071.

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.