Route 232 (Israel)

Last updated

ISR-HW-232.svg
Route 232
כביש 232
Route 232 (Israel)
Israel Route 232 South to Re'im.jpg
Route 232 South approaching Re'im Junction
Route information
Length81.4 km (50.6 mi)
Major junctions
South end Kerem Shalom border crossing
North end Nitzanim
Location
Country Israel
Highway system
ISR-HW-227.svg Route 227 ISR-HW-234.svg Route 234

Route 232 is a rural road in southern Israel. It begins at the Kerem Shalom Crossing at the border with the Gaza Strip, and it passes through the Gaza Envelope, near kibbutzim Re'im, Be'eri, and Kfar Aza, where it meets Highway 25. It continues Northeast to meet Highway 4 near Sderot, before turning northward to terminate on the same road north of Ashkelon. Since the October 7th attack, the road has been given the monicker of "the bloody road (כביש הדמים)" within Israel. [1]

Contents

History

The northern part of the road (from Nitzanim to Nir Am area) was paved during the British Mandate. The road was a major axis for the Negev communities and the control of a number of battles during the Israeli War of Independence. The southern part of the road was paved in 1951 to connect the Western Negev communities: Be'eri, Magen, Re'im, Kissufim, Ein HaShlosha, Nirim and Merhavim Regional Council communities on the road. The road continued in being paved up to Route 241 in the south. [2] In 1954-1955, the road was extended to Nir Yitzhak [3] and in 1959 the road from Nir Yitzhak was extended to Kerem Shalom. [4]

After the Six-Day War, the road was paved next to Kerem Shalom Road about 6 miles that connected to the coastal road in Sinai. [5] This road served as the Israeli traffic to Sinai at the end of 1969, following many attacks on Highway 4 in the Gaza Strip to Israeli civilian traffic. [6] As a result, the National Roads Company of Israel expanded the road. [7]

In the mid-1980s, Highway 10 was paved as well as a connection from the road, near Sufa, to the Gaza Strip towards Morag and Gush Katif, (the road section was also called the Kissufim road  [ he ] and was part of Route 242), [8] but its use was relatively little because of its remoteness from the population centers in Israel. In July 1991, the continuation of Route 242 was inaugurated from Highway 4 and most of the traffic to Gush Katif moved to Route 232 and from it to Route 242, especially after the Palestinian Authority was established and the transfer of power in the Gaza Strip. After the closure of the Karni crossing and the Erez crossing, all the trucks bearing goods designed for the Gaza Strip were directed to the Kerem Shalom crossing, which created heavy traffic loads on the road and raised protest by the residents of Hevel Eshkol.

In 2005-2019, 44 people were killed in road accidents. In 2014 the government decided to expand the road to two lanes, in 2019 construction began and 8.5 kilometers were upgraded. [9]

Route 232 played a role in the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. This road provides access to some of the worst affected communities, with Palestinian gunmen ambushing civilian vehicles fleeing along this route. [10] [11] [12]

Dozens of partygoers to the Nova festival, itself adjoining Route 232, ran to bomb shelters along this road, particularly at Re'im and Be'eri, only to have grenades thrown inside to massacre them. [13]

Junctions & Interchanges

District [14] Location [15] kmmiNameDestinationsNotes
Southern Near Kerem Shalom 00.0צומת ליד כרם שלום
(Junction near Kerem Shalom)
ISR-HW-10.svg Highway 10 Access road to Kerem Shalom Crossing. Highway 10 is currently military use only.
Kerem Shalom 2.11.3כרם שלום
(Kerem Shalom)
Entrance to Kerem Shalom
Sdei Avraham 5.53.4צומת אבשלום
(Avshalom Junction)
ISR-HW-2211.svg Road 2211
Holit 6.54.0צומת חולית
(Holit Junction)
ISR-HW-240.svg Route 240
Pri Gan 7.84.8צומת פרי גן
(Pri Gan Junction)
ISR-HW-2200.svg Road 2200
Nir Yitzhak 8.65.3Entrance to Nir Yitzhak
Mivtahim 13.98.6צומת מבטחים
(Mivtahim Junction)
ISR-HW-2310.svg Road 2310
Ein HaBesor 1711צומת גבולות
(Gvulot Junction)
ISR-HW-222.svg Route 222
Magen 2012צומת מגן
(Magen Junction)
Entrance to Magen
22.514.0צומת מעון
(Ma'on Junction)
ISR-HW-241.svg Route 241
ISR-HW-2410.svg Road 2410
Re'im 3019צומת גמה
(Gama Junction)
ISR-HW-242.svg Route 242
3119צומת רעים
(Re'im Junction)
ISR-HW-234.svg Route 234
Be'eri 37.523.3צומת בארי
(Be'eri Junction)
Entrance to Be'eri
Alumim 40.525.2צומת עלומים
(Alumim Junction)
Entrance to Alumim
Sa'ad 4327צומת סעד
(Sa'ad Junction)
ISR-HW-25.svg Highway 25
Entrance to Sa'ad
43.527.0ISR-HW-25.svg Highway 25
44.227.5Entrance to Sa'ad
Kfar Aza 44.527.7צומת כפר עזה
(Kfar Aza Junction)
Entrance to Kfar Aza
Mefalsim 49.530.8צומת מפלסים
(Mefalsim Junction)
Entrance to Mefalsim
Sha'ar HaNegev 5232צומת שער הנגב
(Sha'ar HaNegev Junction)
ISR-HW-34.svg Highway 34
Sapir Academic College 53.233.1Access road to Sapir Academic College
Sderot 54.633.9Menachem Begin Rd.
55.434.4צומת דורות
(Dorot Junction)
ISR-HW-334.svg Route 334
Ibim 55.734.6צומת איבים
(Ibim Junction)
Entrance to Ibim
Or HaNer 5937צומת אור הנר
(Or HaNer Junction)
Entrance to Or HaNer
Bror Hayil 59.336.8צומת ברור חיל
(Bror Hayil Junction)
Entrance to Bror Hayil
Heletz 5132צומת חלץ
(Heletz Junction)
ISR-HW-352.svg Route 352
Kokhav Michael 68.542.6HaTzabar Street
Sde Yoav 70.543.8צומת גבעתי
(Givati Junction)
ISR-HW-35.svg Highway 35
Hodaya 74.546.3צומת הודיה
(Hodaya Junction)
ISR-HW-3.svg Highway 3
Nitzanim 81.450.6צומת אשכולות
(Eshkolot Junction)
ISR-HW-4.svg Highway 4
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Closed/former

See also

Template:Attached KML/Route 232 (Israel)
KML is not from Wikidata

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References

  1. "בעקבות הטבח: 'כביש הדמים' בדרום ישודרג בעלות של מאות מיליוני שקלים". ashdods.co.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  2. שבתי קפלן (August 6, 1951). "הנגב חוגר כבישים". Al HaMishmar (in Hebrew).
  3. "כבישים חדשים בנגב". HaTzofe (in Hebrew). January 11, 1955.
  4. ישעיהו אביעם (October 21, 1959). "ממול סיירו חיילי האו"ם". Maariv (in Hebrew).
  5. מנחם תלמי [in Hebrew] (September 6, 1968). "הכביש אל פיתחת רפיח". Maariv (in Hebrew).
  6. מנחם תלמי [in Hebrew] (August 8, 1969). "הנתיב העובר בכרם שלום". Maariv (in Hebrew).
  7. "200 מיליון לירות יושקעו בפיתוח כבישים בארץ". Davar (in Hebrew). December 19, 1969.
  8. נילי פרידלנדר [in Hebrew] (October 24, 1986). "אל החוף הדרומי". Maariv (in Hebrew).
  9. רועי רובינשטיין (October 17, 2019). "התקציב לשדרוג כביש הדמים אזל - עוד שני נוסעים שילמו את המחיר". Ynet (in Hebrew).
  10. "Once an artery of thriving southern region, Route 232 transformed into road of death". Times of Israel . October 13, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  11. McKernan, Bethan; Kierszenbaum, Quique (October 10, 2023). "'We're focused on maximum damage': ground offensive into Gaza seems imminent". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  12. "Supernova festival: How massacre unfolded from verified video and social media". BBC News. October 9, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  13. Kershner, Isabel; Elkayam, Amit (November 11, 2023). "They Ran Into a Bomb Shelter for Safety. Instead, They Were Slaughtered". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  14. Survey of Israel (October 31, 2018). "מחוזות משרד הפנים" [Ministry of Interior districts] (Map). Govmap (in Hebrew). Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  15. Survey of Israel (October 31, 2018). "גבולות ישובים" [Locality borders] (Map). Govmap (in Hebrew). Retrieved October 31, 2018.

31°17′48″N34°42′46″E / 31.29667°N 34.71278°E / 31.29667; 34.71278