Ashkelon

   A modern city in the western Negev Desert, some 10 kilometers north of the Gaza Strip. Near to the modern city are the remains of the ancient seaport of Ashkelon, which was one of the oldest and largest seaports in biblical Canaan. Archaeological excavations have discerned evidence of settlement in the area since the Bronze Age. The Israeli national plan of June 1949 designated the former Arab village of Majdal as the site for a regional urban center of 20,000. By 1961, Ashkelon ranked 18th amongst Israeli urban centers with a population of 24,000. Currently it is Israel's 13th largest city with a population of 108,000 in 2007. It is a northern terminus for the trans-Israel pipeline, which brings petroleum products from Eilat to an oil terminal at the port. In 2005, the world's then-largest water desalination plant opened at Ashkelon with a capacity of 330,000 cubic meters of water per day. These Israeli strategic assets have been targeted by Qas-sam missiles launched from the Gaza Strip since Israel's 2005 unilateral disengagement.