The suspension bridge you saw last week is the longest of its kind in the country and connects the two banks of the Ha’Bsor river, which is itself one of the longest rivers of the Negev – 80 km in length.
The river flows from the eastern Negev area and spills into the Mediterranean Sea near Gaza City.
A section of approximately 44km has been declared as a natural reserve; from Nahal Beersheba till the border of the Gaza Strip.
According to testimonies of travelers in the region from about a hundred years ago, the river at the time was surrounded only by meager vegetation, as opposed to the present where the riverbanks are full of greenery – but not necessarily for the best reasons.
Sewage from industrial plants in the Ramat Hovav area, and from the Tze’elim army base, poured into the river, resulting into a limited number of plants that are resistant to these substances, to grow uncontrolled and dominate the region.
Besides that, after transforming the area into a natural reserve animals that were pasturing in the area were unable to enter the region.
The bridge that connected the two banks was built by the JNF and is 80 meters long
