israeli wells further inland are less prone to seawater intrusion with a net outflow of mcmyr of groundwater from the coastal aquifer basin to the sea occurring in the israeli part of the basin in the sinai peninsula groundwater levels have also dropped below sea level in the vicinity of major population centres like arish and rafah in israel lateral hydraulic connections to older saline groundwater exist in the hinterland as the salt front has moved from inland areas towards the coast salinity has increased considerably over the past years figure