WILD Videos From Israel Shows How Incredibly Accurate Their Iron Dome Missile Defense System Is

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.

While the back and forth of Palestinian rockets being largely disabled by Israel’s widely lauded missile defense system, and subsequent Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, is routine, the current round of conflict is unusually intense.

Since violence between Israel and Palestinians began to escalate on Monday, hundreds of rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip, killing at least three Israelis. On Tuesday, Hamas launched a volley of rockets at Tel Aviv, Israel’s largest city, after it said a high-rise building in Gaza was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike.