31°18′24″N 34°37′10″E / 31.30667°N 34.61944°E
Besor Natural Region | |
|---|---|
Natural Region | |
 | |
| Country |  Israel |
| District | Southern |
| Subdistrict | Beersheba |
| Largest City | Ofakim |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,081 km2 (417 sq mi) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 68,766 |
| Ethnicity | |
| • Jews and others | 91.4% |
| • Arabs | 0.7% |
The Besor Natural Region is a natural region in the Beersheba Subdistrict, in the Southern District of Israel. Ofakim is the largest city in the natural region.
The natural region consists of the northern edge of the Negev Desert in south-western Israel, west of Beersheba and bordering both Egypt and the Gaza Strip. It is named after the Besor Stream, the longest river in southern Israel, which flows through the natural region. It has an area of 1,081 km2. The largest city in the natural region is Ofakim, which contains 58 percent of the natural region's population. There are no other towns in the natural region with more than 2,500 people. The natural region contains the Eshkol Regional Council along with portions of the Merhavim and Sdot Negev regional councils.
The Besor Natural Region was hit hard by the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israel. Some of the most horrific massacres and battles of those attacks, such as the Nova music festival massacre, the Be'eri massacre, and the Battle of Ofakim, took place there.
The vast majority of the residents of the Besor Natural Region are Jewish. There are no Arab towns in the natural region.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 15,100 | — |
| 1983 | 21,200 | +40.4% |
| 1995 | 30,600 | +44.3% |
| 2008 | 41,360 | +35.2% |
| 2022 | 62,325 | +50.7% |
| 2024 | 68,766 | +10.3% |
| Cities | Local Councils | Villages |
|---|---|---|
|
[None] |
In the 2022 election, 71 percent of voters in the natural region voted for the parties of the right-wing coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu, while 26 percent voted for the parties of the center-left coalition led by Yair Lapid and 0.3 percent voted for the Arab parties.
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