According To Israel, Iron Dome Intercepts 97% Of Gaza Rockets

According to the military, Israel’s Iron Dome interceptor shot down 97 percent of Palestinian rockets it engaged during the weekend surge of Gaza fighting, indicating an improvement in the performance of the US-backed system.

Iron Dome, which launched guided missiles to intercept incoming rockets and other short-range threats in mid-air, was rated as 85 percent successful by Israeli and US defence officials when it was first deployed in 2011. This increased to 90% during the 2012 Gaza war.

Iron Dome, developed by state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd with assistance from US firm Raytheon Technologies Corp, is intended to save money on expensive interceptor missiles by engaging only rockets on a trajectory to strike populated areas.

An Israeli military spokesperson said the system intercepted 97 percent of these during a flare-up of fighting with Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza since Friday, calling it the system’s best performance to date.

“We are constantly improving our capabilities,” the spokesperson said. “Paint on wood.”

According to the spokesman, Islamic Jihad had launched 580 rockets at Israel as of Sunday morning, with approximately 20% falling short within Gaza and the remainder reaching the outskirts of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.