Sderot (Hebrew: שְׂדֵרוֹת, Hebrew pronunciation:[sdeˈʁot], meaning: Boulevards) is a western Negev city and former development town 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 since 2001.