1 October 2024

Hezbollah Breaches Israel’s Iron Dome: A Major Setback for Air Defense

Huma Siddiqui

In a significant escalation of the conflict, Hezbollah has launched a barrage of rockets targeting Safed and other cities in northern Israel, including Haifa and Karmiel. The attack marks a crucial breach of Israel’s Iron Dome, a defense system designed to intercept and neutralize incoming rockets and artillery. This breach signals a significant failure in Israel’s air defense capabilities, sparking concerns over the system’s reliability in the face of a larger, more coordinated assault.


Based on the information in the public domain, for the first time since the 2006 conflict, Hezbollah rockets have struck deep into central Haifa, shaking Israeli defenses. The sound of missile sirens has echoed through several cities, as residents scramble to take cover. The sudden breakdown of the Iron Dome system, which had been a symbol of Israel’s technological edge in missile defense, raises questions about its ability to protect the country against high-volume attacks from Hezbollah’s extensive arsenal.

Why Did the Iron Dome Fail?

The breach of the Iron Dome can be attributed to Hezbollah’s advanced military capabilities. Unlike Hamas, whose arsenal consists mostly of short-range rockets, Hezbollah possesses a vast collection of missiles, drones, and precision-guided munitions, many of which have been supplied by Iran over the years. This makes Hezbollah’s weaponry not only more sophisticated but also more numerous. According to estimates from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Hezbollah has around 150,000 rockets and missiles, including several thousand precision-guided ones capable of reaching deep into Israeli territory.

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