Ashdod: The sixth-largest city in Israel, located 32km (20 miles) south of Tel Aviv, 20km (12 miles) north of Ashkelon and 53km (33 miles) west of Jerusalem. Ashdod is an important regional industrial center. The Port of Ashdod is Israel’s largest port accounting for 60% of the country’s imported goods.

Ashkelon: On the Mediterranean coast, 50km (30 miles) south of Tel Aviv and 13km (8 miles) north of the border with Gaza. In 2010, the population of Ashkelon was 112,900.

Be’er Tuvia: A moshav near the city of Kiryat Malachi. It is affiliated with the Be’er Tuvia Regional Council.

Be’er Tuvia Regional Council: A regional council in the southern Coastal Plain region in Israel. It borders Yoav and Nachal Sorek regional councils in the east; Chof Ashkelon regional council, the Mediterranean Sea, the city of Ashdod and Gan Yavne local council in the west; Gedeirot, Chevel Yavne regional councils and Gadera, Bnei Aish local councils in the north; Shafir regional council in the south. The town of Kiryat Malachi is enclaved in the middle. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, the regional council had a population of 18,600.

Gan Yavne: A town in central Israel, located adjacent to Ashdod. It lies east of the Tel-Aviv–Ashkelon highway, and is bordered to the west by Ashdod, to the north by Gedeirot Regional Council, and to the east and south by Be’er Tuvia Regional Council. In 2011, Gan Yavne had a population of 22,000.

Kiryat Malachi: A town located 17km (11 miles) from Ashkelon. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 20,600.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)