Sderot

Sderot (Hebrew: שְׂדֵרוֹת, pronounced [sdeˈʁot], lit. 'boulevards'; Arabic: سديروت, sometimes Romanized as "Sederot") is a western Negev city and former development town in the Southern District of Israel. In 2024, it had a population of 37,239. Sderot is located less than a mile from Gaza (the closest point is 840 m (2,760 ft)), and is notable for having been a major target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip. Between 2001 and 2008, rocket attacks on the city killed 13 people, wounded dozens, caused millions of dollars in damage and profoundly disrupted daily life. Although rocket fire subsided after the Gaza War (2008–09), the city has come under rocket attack on occasion since that time. In 2024, Sderot was chosen to serve as a model for Israeli cities in the implementation of urban forestry ideas.