 Latrun is located at the crossroads between the Tel Aviv – Ramla – Jerusalem and Ramallah – Isdud roads in the area allocated to the Arab state by the United Nations Partition Plan . At that point , the Jerusalem road enters the foothills of Judea at Bab al @-@ Wad ( Sha 'ar HaGai ) . The fort dominated the Valley of Ayalon , and the force that occupied it commanded the road to Jerusalem . 
