This is a list of rivers of Israel. This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name.
Nahal (Hebrew, wiktionary:נחל) and Wadi (Arabic) commonly translate to Stream, more seldom River. Both words, when used as common nouns, also signify '(stream/river) valley'.
Streams entirely on the West Bank are not listed here.
Mediterranean Sea Rivers emptying into the Mediterranean Sea, listed from north to south. Nahal Betzet (Arabic: Wadi Karkara) Nahal Kziv (Arabic: Wadi al-Qarn) Ga'aton River Nahal Meirav Na'aman River (Hebrew: Nahal Na'aman, Arabic: Nahr al-Na'mein), ancient Belus River Kishon River (Arabic: Wadi Abu Alhiya), formerly Nahal Nahash Nahal Daliya/Dalya/Dalia; ends in estuary NW of Zichron Ya'akov and Kibbutz Ma'ayan Zvi, among fish ponds continuing south to Kibbutz Ma'agan Michael and Nahal Taninim Nahal Taninim (Arabic: Wadi az-Zarqa); basin and tributaries include 'Ada, Barkan, Alona and Mishmarot streams Hadera Stream (Arabic: Nahr Akhdar) Nahal Alexander Nahal Poleg (Arabic: Wadi al-Faliq) Yarkon River Wadi Qana or Qanah (Hebrew: Nahal Qanah) Ayalon River (Arabic name: Wadi Musrara) Wadi Natuf/Nahal Natuf; flows into the Ayalon near Ben Gurion Airport; tributary Wadi Beitunia/Nahal Modi'im or Modi'in reaches it within Latrun salient or Shiloh (Arabic names in the West Bank change: Wadi Ali, Wadi Amuriya, etc.) Nahal Sorek (Arabic: Wadi al-Sarar) Lakhish River (Arabic: Wadi Suqrir) Nahal Guvrin/Guvrin Stream, passes by Beit Guvrin, mouth north of Masu'ot Yitzhak or Shiqma (Arabic: Wadi el-Hesi), location of an important First World War-time battle HaBesor Stream (Arabic: Wadi Ghazzeh/Gaza [downstream] and Wadi esh-Shallaleh [upstream]) Nahal Gerar (Arabic: Wadi esh-Sheri'a / Wady el Sharia) Nahal Be'er Sheva Nahal Hevron (English: Hebron River or Stream, Arabic: Wadi al-Samen or Wadi al-Khalil)
Dead Sea Rivers emptying into the Dead Sea. Tributaries of the Jordan River are listed north to south, where needed east to west.
Jordan River and its tributaries Jordan River
From the foothills of Mount Hermon and South Lebanon Banias River (Hebrew: Nahal Hermon) Dan River Hasbani River (Hebrew: Nahal Snir) Ayun Stream
From Galilee to the Upper Jordan River Dishon Stream (Arabic: Wadi al-Hindaj etc.)
Mahanayim Stream Rosh Pina Stream
From the Golan to the Upper Jordan Valley (Hula V.)
From the Golan to the Sea of Galilee The Golan Heights, by international law, are part of Syria. Much of the region has been annexed by Israel, a move only recognised by the United States. Some of the Golan Heights streams cross into internationally recognised Israeli territory, while some don't. For the sake of a comprehensive hydrological overview, the Golan tributaries of the Jordan River via the lake are tentatively listed here for now.
Five streams - the Jordan plus four more - run through the Bethsaida Valley (Batikha or Buteikha in Arabic), the first four forming the Meshushim and Zaki Lagoons before reaching the Sea of Galilee. Meshushim River (Hebrew), Wadi el-Hawa/Fakhura/Zaki (Arabic). Tributaries not reaching Israel: (intermittent)
(Nahal Yosifon) (see Yehudiya, Yehudiya Forest Nature Reserve) Batra Stream Daliyot River. Tributaries not reaching Israel: (Nahal Gamla) (Nahal Bazelet)
. Tributary not reaching Israel: (Nahal El Al) (Nahal En Gev), commonly spelled Ein Gev Metzar/Meitsar Stream (Nahal Metzar)
From Galilee to the Sea of Galilee
Nahal Amud (Arabic: Wadi al-Amud) or Zalmon (Arabic: Wadi al-Rubudiyeh) (Arabic: Wadi al-Hamam)
From Galilee to the Lower Jordan River (Arabic: Wadi Fidjdjas, sometimes spelled Fijas) Yarmouk River Nahal Tavor (English: Tabor Stream, Tavor Stream)
From the Valleys to the Jordan River Harod Stream ("Nahal Harod", "Wadi Jalud" in Arabic)
The West Bank tributaries are not listed here. This concerns creeks entirely on the West Bank, from spring to the Dead Sea.
From the Judaean desert to the Dead Sea Nahal Yishai (West Bank and Israel) , Wadi Sdeir (West Bank and Israel) (West Bank and Israel); Arabic names: Wadi el-Jihar (upper course), Wadi el-Ghar (central section) and Wadi Areijeh (lower course) Nahal Tsruya (West Bank and Israel) Nahal Hever (West Bank and Israel) Nahal Asa'el (West Bank and Israel) Nahal Mishmar (mostly Israel) (Israel) Tze'elim Stream (Israel) (West Bank and Israel) (West Bank and Israel)
(West Bank and Israel)
(West Bank and Israel) , , , ,
From the Negev to the Dead Sea , related to the Zin Desert (see also 2014 Israeli oil spill)
Negev to Arava Valley to the Dead Sea Nahal HaArava
Nahal Shivya Nahal Paran Nahal Hiyyon
Red Sea (Gulf of Eilat) Streams emptying into the Gulf of Eilat of the Red Sea.
(lit. Solomon Stream)
See also Geography of Palestine: Rivers and lakes
References Rand McNally, The New International Atlas, 1993. GEOnet Names Server