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DNA Explainer: What is Iron Dome and how is it helping Israel counter rocket attack from Palestine?

Israel defence forces Spokesperson Hidai Zilberman said the Iron Dome air defence system had an interception rate between 85 and 90% of rockets.

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Israel's Iron Dome Defense system intercepted rockets plunging towards Ashkelon, south of Israel. (Reuters Photo)
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As hostilities between Israel and Palestine continue to escalate, the Israeli Army on Wednesday (May 12) said over 1,050 rockets and mortar shells were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel since the violence broke out on Monday evening. Israel defence forces (IDF) Spokesperson Hidai Zilberman said the Iron Dome air defence system had an interception rate between 85 and 90 per cent of rockets heading toward populated areas, The Times of Israel reported.

In response, the IDF launched strikes on upwards of 500 targets in the Gaza Strip, aimed at Hamas personnel, weaponry and infrastructure, Zilberman says. The health ministry run by the Hamas group reported that so far, 32 Palestinians have been killed and 220 people injured in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza since the outbreak of hostilities, The Times of Israel reported.

The ongoing violence marks a dramatic escalation of tensions linked to the potential eviction of Palestinian families from East Jerusalem by Israeli settlers and access to one of the most sacred sites in the city, which is a key hub for Islam, Judaism and Christianity.

The confrontation intensified in recent days as Ramzan brought large crowds to al-Aqsa and clashes broke out between Palestinians and Israeli police. More than 300 Palestinians were injured on Monday. The protests spread to other Arab areas inside Israel. 

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.

First put into service in 2011, it is designed to stop short-range rockets and artillery like those fired from Gaza. 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.

With agency inputs

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