34 days into the war, the air defense system publishes data on the number of launches it faced.
According to the data published today: since the beginning of the war, about 9,500 rockets and dozens of aircraft have been launched towards Israeli territory. The largest number of launches was in Hamas's opening strike on Simchat Torah, when about 3,000 rockets were launched, which is 75% of what was launched in the entire Second Lebanon War and Operation Protective Edge.
Air Defense Forces fighters intercepted about 2,000 rockets in the defense areas, according to the policy of only intercepting rockets in populated areas. With the entry of the ground forces into the Strip, a significant decrease in the number of launches is evident.
The IDF states that about 12% of the total number of launches towards Israeli territory landed in the Gaza Strip - such as the rocket that hit Al-Maadi Hospital. About 900 launches were carried out from civilian sites such as: mosques, schools, hospitals and cultural centers. These data emphasize once again the cynical use of civilians by the terrorist organization Hamas.
In the current war, the Arrow system was first used operationally to intercept long-range rockets, the use was made against the Houthis' firing from Yemen towards Eilat.
In the air defense system, the deployment of intercepts is noted from Mount Dov in the north to the Red Sea in the south. For the first time, all the air defense systems are working simultaneously - Iron Dome, David's Sling, Diamond and Arrow. All of these provide protection in every layer of air defense and enable optimal protection of the Israeli rear.
The array's successes were realized, among other things, due to the deep cooperation effort between the IDF and the defense industries, as well as between the IDF and the United States Army, which are force multipliers in this war.
