While Ukraine is often exposed to unprotected Russian missiles, Israel protects itself with a sophisticated system: Israel has protected itself against missile attacks with the “Iron Dome” for over eleven years. It was also used last.
The Israeli military launched the “Dawn” military action on Friday with air strikes against Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip. The air force first killed jihad military chief Taisir al-Jabari and, on Saturday night, southern jihad commander Khalid Mansur. According to the Israeli army, the deployment eliminated the military leadership of the jihad. The group, which is closely linked to Israel’s archenemy Iran, has been classified as a terrorist organization by the EU and US.
Use of missiles on both sides
Since Friday, Palestinian militants have fired more than 900 rockets into Israeli cities, according to the military. 160 of them fell in the Gaza Strip itself. Alarm sirens were still blaring Sunday night in the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv. According to the military, almost all projectiles threatening Israeli residential areas were intercepted by the “Iron Dome” anti-missile defense system.
© (c) APA/AFP/JACK GUEZ
After three days of fighting, an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire took effect in the Gaza conflict on Sunday night. The exchange of blows between Israel and the Palestinian militant organization Islamic Jihad (PIJ) lasted until just before the ceasefire began. Both sides had already announced the end of the attacks separately.
How does the defense system work?
The first Iron Dome battery was installed in March 2011 near Beersheba in the Negev desert. Nine more units have already been put into operation, including near the coastal cities of Ashkelon and Ashdod, south of Tel Aviv and near the southern Israeli city of Netivot, 20 kilometers from the Gaza Strip. Thirteen batteries would be needed to cover the entire Israeli territory.
The defense system was developed with US financial support by the Israeli state defense company Rafael Defense Systems, based in Haifa. The “Iron Dome” can intercept mortars and short-range missiles with a range of up to 70 kilometers.
The individual batteries consist of a radar, a control unit and three launchers, each with 20 missiles. According to media reports, each shot costs around $50,000. In 2019, the US Army purchased two Iron Dome batteries to bolster its missile defenses.