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The Iron Dome has prevented thousands of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip since 2011, when Israel commissioned this advanced anti-aircraft system.
This system has made residents feel safer, and Israelis can often be seen watching the shells fly through the sky and destroying targets overhead.
But the current fight with Hamas may be the toughest challenge yet.
In just two weeks, Israel has fired 7,000 rockets at Israel, according to the Israeli Army. So more than in any of the four past wars between Israel and Hamas since the militant group took power in Gaza in 2007.
On October 7 alone, the first day of fighting, Hamas fired 2,000 rockets, according to data from West Point, the United States Military Academy. Lebanon's Hezbollah has also fired hundreds of rockets into northern Israel since the fighting began.
Most of the missiles were spotted and destroyed by the Iron Dome. But some managed to penetrate and kill at least 11 people and hit buildings as far away as Tel Aviv, according to Israeli officials.
Below you can read some of the achievements – and limitations – of the Iron Dome.
How does the Iron Dome work?
The Iron Dome is equipped with a number of anti-aircraft batteries which use radars to spot short-range missiles and destroy them.
Each anti-aircraft battery has three or four launchers, 22 missiles and a radar, according to Raytheon, the US defense giant, which co-produces the anti-aircraft missile with Israeli company Rafael Defense Systems.
The moment the radar detects the missile, the system determines if the missile is headed for a populated area.
If so, I fire a projectile to destroy the missile. If the system determines that the missile is headed for an open field or the sea, it allows it to fall in order to save its shells. According to the military, all of this takes place within Israeli airspace.
Israel's military has declined to say how many Iron Dome anti-aircraft batteries have been moved for now. But by 2021, Israel has deployed 10 anti-aircraft batteries around the country, each capable of protecting an area of 155 square kilometers, according to Raytheon.
How accurate is the Iron Dome?
About 90 percent accurate, according to Rafael.
But, it can be defeated if a large volley of rockets is fired, letting some of them through. Although it has worked very well so far, the risk could increase if Hezbollah enters the war.
It is reported that Hezbollah has 150,000 rockets and shells.
How expensive is this antiaircraft?
Each shell costs about $40,000 to $50,000, according to the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.
The United States has invested heavily in this anti-aircraft, helping with the cost of development and replenishing it during combat.
US President Joe Biden said he will ask the US Congress for 14.3 billion in military aid to Israel. Most of that money would help air and missile defense systems, according to the White House.
"We are increasing additional military assistance, including ammunition and shells to replenish the Iron Dome," Biden said./REL
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