Coastal land handed over for nature reserve, housing after ordnance cleared at military test site

The Defense Ministry announces it has completed the first phase of the unexploded ordnance clearance of “Firing Range 24,” a site long used as a military testing ground along the coast of Rishon LeZion, handing over more than 300 dunams (74 acres) of land to the city as part of a landmark redevelopment and environmental restoration project.

The central Israel site has been used for military exercises since 1953. Under the agreement signed in late 2022 between the Defense Ministry and the Rishon LeZion municipality, most of the area will be converted into a coastal nature reserve, while the remaining land will be used for housing and commercial zones.

The handover follows months of work by the Defense Ministry’s Mine and Unexploded Ordnance Clearance Authority.

Once the full clearance is completed, the city is expected to gain at least two additional kilometers of accessible beachfront, effectively tripling its coastal strip, while a new residential district with nearly 2,000 housing units is planned for part of the site.

“This is a historic moment for Rishon LeZion, its residents and the public at large,” says Rishon LeZion Mayor Raz Kinstlich. “Returning the land to the public, expanding the coastline and establishing a nature reserve, alongside responsible urban development, reflects our vision for a progressive city that puts residents’ quality of life at its center.”