Tel Aviv residents 'safer' with Iron Dome

2012-11-17 154

It may not look particularly impressive but this metallic box is Israel's fifth Iron Dome anti-missile battery system - now stationed in Tel Aviv.

Army chiefs rushed their latest Iron Dome into the area after Islamist militants in Gaza fired three rockets into Tel Aviv in the past 48 hours.

While there were no injuries or damage, the fact that Israel's commercial capital was in the firing line had alarmed many Israelis.

Residents in Tel Aiv welcomed the arrival.

This man says he feels much more comfortable knowing Iron Dome is nearby since its rates of interception are high.

Another said he hoped there would be no need for it soon.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) TEL AVIV RESIDENT SAYING:

" I feel much a little bit much secure about this fact and I hope any way that we'll finish it next week any way that we shall not need it anyway."

The Iron Dome system uses a variant of the missile detector on warplanes to spot ground-to-ground and rocket launches.

First deployed in the south last April, Israel says it needs between 10 and 15 of them for comprehensive nationwide defence.

The system has intercepted at least 222 incoming rockets since the start of Israel's offensive against Gaza militants on Wednesday according to the Israeli military - a 90 percent success rate