October 24, 2012-Iron Dome Proves It Worth as 80 Rockets Strike the South

The Iron Dome proved its worth again today. The Palestinians from Gaza fired 80 rockets and mortars at Southern Israel this morning. The rockets found a target at a Kibbutz, which sits very close to the border. However, all 7 rockets that were likely to hit the city of Ashkelon were successfully intercepted. Thus, while there are the usual calls to take action against Hamas, the pressure is significantly reduced, since the urban centers in the South are currently protected. It's not a foolproof solution, but Iron Dome's success allows Israel to take measured, deliberate actions, without being rushed. Israel has also gained much greater capability of deploying armed drones circling around potential rocket launch sites. As a result, last night the drones were able to kill a number of Hamas and Islamic Jihad rocket launcher operators before they could be fired. The current round of rocket fire may be over. It's up to Hamas. If Hamas does not attack tonight, it will likely be quiet....until the next round.

The Sudanese claim Israel is behind an explosion last night, in an arms factory, in the heart of Khartoum. Israel is not saying anything. However, there is a good chance the allegation is accurate. If Israel did it you can be sure that there was a valued target involved. However, to find out the actual details of "what" and "how", we will need to wait for the history books.