![Hanegev near Nizana](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Hanegev_near_Nizana.jpg)
Highway 10 is a road in the South District of
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. It is one of the longest routes in Israel, extending for nearly the entire border of Israel with
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
from the
Gaza Strip
The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
in the north to
Sayarim junction in the south. Under a military security advisory, its entire 113-mile length is almost permanently off-limits to civilian traffic.
Features
The route begins in the north with the communities of
Hevel Eshkol
In the biblical Book of Genesis, Cain ''Qayīn'', in pausa ''Qāyīn''; gr, Κάϊν ''Káïn''; ar, قابيل/قايين, Qābīl / Qāyīn and Abel ''Heḇel'', in pausa ''Hāḇel''; gr, Ἅβελ ''Hábel''; ar, هابيل, Hāb ...
in the west, nearest to the
Sinai Desert
Sinai commonly refers to:
* Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
* Mount Sinai, a mountain in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
* Biblical Mount Sinai, the site in the Bible where Moses received the Law of God
Sinai may also refer to:
* Sinai, South Dakota, a place ...
. The northern terminus is the intersection with
Route 232 near
Kerem Shalom
Kerem Shalom ( he, כֶּרֶם שָׁלוֹם, ''lit.'' Vineyard of Peace) is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located on the Gaza Strip-Israel-Egypt border, it falls under the jurisdiction of Eshkol Regional Council. In it had a population of .
Hi ...
. From there it continues south adjacent to the border with Egypt. It passes by
Nitzana and the Nitzana border crossing.
Highway 10 intersects with
Route 211, which leads east toward
Yeruham
Yeruham ( he, יְרוֹחַם, ''Yeroham'') is a town (local council (Israel), local council) in the Southern District (Israel), Southern District of Israel, in the Negev desert. It covers 38,584 dunams (~38.6 km²), and had a population of ...
and
Sde Boker
Sde Boker ( he, שְׂדֵה בּוֹקֵר, lit. ''Herding Field'') is a kibbutz in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Best known as the retirement home of Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ramat ...
. Farther south, Highway 10 intersects with
Route 171, which leads east toward
Mizpe Ramon
Mitzpe Ramon ( he, מִצְפֵּה רָמוֹן, Ramon Lookout; ar, متسبي رمون) is a local council in the Negev desert of southern Israel. It is situated on the northern ridge at an elevation of 860 meters (2,800 feet) overl ...
.
The route continues south until Sayarim junction, where it meets
Highway 12
Route 12 or Highway 12 can refer to:
For a list of roads named A12, see A12 roads.
International
* Asian Highway 12
* European route E12
* European route E012
Argentina
* National Route 12
Australia NSW
* Western Sydney Airport Motorway ( ...
in the mountains near
Eilat
Eilat ( , ; he, אֵילַת ; ar, إِيلَات, Īlāt) is Israel's southernmost city, with a population of , a busy port and popular resort at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on what is known in Israel as the Gulf of Eilat and in Jordan ...
. Highway 12 continues south to Eilat.
Partial rerouting
A rerouting of part of the highway was approved by Israeli planning authorities in 2012. A 30-kilometer-long section of the highway will be relocated east, further away from Israel's border with Egypt than the original route. Originally, the plan had called for two lanes of traffic in either direction. Subsequent to appeals from the
Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel
Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel ( he, החברה להגנת הטבע, ''HaHevra LeHaganat HaTeva''), or SPNI, is an Israeli non-profit environmental organization working to preserve plants, animals, and natural environments that repr ...
and other conservationists, who argued that the new highway would profoundly impact the local dune-based environment, the plan was modified such that there will be one lane of traffic in either direction.
See also
*
List of highways in Israel
This is a list of Israeli highways. Besides highways in Israel proper, it includes highways in the West Bank and the Golan Heights, because the Israeli administration maintains them in these areas.
There are 48 designated Israeli highways. Most of ...
References
{{Transportation in Israel
10