Over 19,000 unguided rockets fired into Israel on multiple fronts since Oct 7
Scores of guided anti-tank missiles and more than 150 drones have also targeted Israel since Hamas terror attack
More than 19,000 unguided rockets have been fired into Israel since the Oct. 7 attacks, the IDF announced in a statement on Monday.
While most of the rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip by Iranian proxies Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), rocket attacks from Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon have been rapidly increasing on Israel's northern border in recent months.
In addition, scores of guided anti-tank missiles have been fired at Israel by Hezbollah, while hundreds of rockets launched by the terrorist groups in Gaza have misfired and landed inside the Strip. The Hezbollah attacks have sparked wildfires in northern Israel, causing much destruction.
Israel’s Iron Dome aerial defense system has successfully intercepted most of the incoming rockets, downing tens of thousands of rockets, mortars and drones launched at Israel since 2011.
The Israeli military also published data on Monday revealing that more than 150 drones had been downed by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) using the ground-based Iron Dome. Many more drones have been shot down by fighter jets, according to the IAF.
The majority of drone attacks have been launched toward Israel by Hezbollah, which has been sending explosive-laden drones into Israel almost daily, simultaneously launching rocket barrages and guided anti-tank missiles. Several drones targeting Israel have also been deployed from terrorists in Gaza, in addition to those launched by Iranian proxies in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
Hezbollah drones have posed one of the most difficult challenges for the Israel Air Force, which has not always been able to identify the weapons in time to intercept them.
Last week, a Hezbollah drone killed an IDF soldier and wounded 10 others. While mostly targeting Israel's and army positions and northern communities on the border with Lebanon, Hezbollah's drone launches have reached as far as 24 miles into Israeli territory. One drone recently struck an open area in Jezreel Valley, close to the city of Nazareth. While unsuccessful, the drone attack marked the deepest penetration of Israeli territory since the ongoing skirmishes between the IDF and Hezbollah forces began on Oct. 8.
In a direct attack on Israel on April 14, the Islamic Republic of Iran fired more than 120 surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, 170 drones and 30 cruise missiles. During that attack, the IAF and the United States, Jordan, the United Kingdom, and France were able to detect the drones hours in advance and prevent them from entering Israel.
According to an IAF assessment, in an all-out war with Israel, Hezbollah would seek to destroy Israel’s air defenses, particularly the Aerial Defense array’s systems, which uses a wide range of sensors to detect “suspicious aerial targets” heading into Israeli airspace.
It is estimated that Hezbollah would launch swarms of drones – as opposed to the current rate of two or three at a time – which would pose a significant challenge to the Israeli military.
The IAF has developed several new Iron Dome batteries, in addition to establishing a new battalion to operate the short-range air-defense system, as part of Israel’s efforts to counter Hezbollah’s drones.
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