Sderot (Hebrew: שְׂדֵרוֹת, ) is a western Negev city in the Southern District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), at the end of 2011 the city had a total population of 24,000. The city has been an ongoing target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip for more than 10 years.
Sderot is located less than a mile from Gaza (the closest point is 840 meters). The constant barrage of rocket attacks on the city has killed 13 Israelis, wounded dozens, caused millions of dollars in damage and profoundly disrupted daily life. The frequent air-raid sirens and explosions of incoming projectiles have caused severe psychological trauma. From mid-June 2007 to mid-February 2008, 771 rockets and 857 mortar bombs were fired at Sderot and the western Negev, an average of three or four each a day.
Read more about Sderot: History, Demographics, Economy, Local Government, Education, Culture, Rocket Fire From Gaza, Solidarity Gestures, Lawsuits, Twin Towns – Sister Cities, Notable Residents