World
A massive barrage of 5,000 rockets from the Gaza Strip and infiltration into Israel's southern area killed at least one person and injured 16 others.
Updated : Oct 07, 2023, 01:22 PM IST
In the latest incident of hostilities between Israel and Palestine, a massive barrage of 5,000 rockets from the Gaza Strip and infiltration into Israel's southern area killed at least one person and injured 16 others. Israel on Saturday declared a "state of readiness for war".
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on his way to the Defence Ministry Headquarters in order to conduct a security assessment with the participation of all of the heads of the security establishment, a statement from the PMO said.
What is Israel's Iron Dome?
Israel's Iron Dome is an air defense system developed by the Israeli firms Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries, with financial and technical support from the United States.
Each truck-towed unit fires radar-guided missiles to blow up short-range threats such as rockets, mortars and drones in mid-air. It bookends Israel's multi-tier air defence array opposite Arrow-3, which is designed to intercept ballistic missiles outside the earth's atmosphere.
Two separate systems, known as David’s Sling and Arrow, are designed for medium- and long-range threats, including planes, drones, rockets and missiles.
Iron Dome relies on a system of radar and analysis to determine whether an incoming rocket is a threat, firing an interceptor only if the incoming rocket risks hitting a populated area or important infrastructure.
The Iron Dome swiftly determines whether a rocket is on course to hit a populated area. If that is not the case then the rocket is ignored and allowed to land harmlessly.
Iron Dome was originally billed as providing city-sized coverage against rockets with ranges of between 4 and 70 km (2.5 to 43 miles) but experts say this has since been expanded.
A naval version of the Iron Dome to protect ships and sea-based assets was deployed in 2017.
(With Reuters inputs)