Jerusalem: A temporary malfunction in Israel missile defense system ‘Iron Dome’ in the southern town indirectly contributed to the deaths of its three citisens.
The deaths of three Israelis in Kiryat Malakhi last Thursday occurred during a technical malfunction that affected the Iron Dome battery that was stationed next to the southern Israeli town, Harratz reports.
A Gaza rocket on Thursday slammed into the city, hitting an apartment building and killing three civilians fleeing for cover in the stairwell of their building.
The three killed in the attack were identified as itzchak Amsellem, 24, Aharon Smadja, 50-years-old, and Mira Sharf, 25-year-old rocket hit on a Kiryat Malachi house.
Currently, five Iron Dome batteries are deployed in Israel and most of them are located in the south near Gaza. A fifth battery was deployed outside Tel Aviv on Saturday, two months ahead of schedule. Hours later, it shot down a rocket headed toward Tel Aviv.
Each Tamir interceptor missiles cost around $60,000 a piece. In 2010, the US provided $192 million to expand development. Additional funding is currently being considered, with $67.5 million already allocated for the 2012 fiscal year.
The system is part of what Israel calls its “multilayer missile defense”. It is meant to protect against the tens of thousands of short-range rockets possessed by militants in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.
Israel has also deployed its Arrow missile defence systems for long-range threats from Iran. The military says its new David’s Sling’ system, being developed by Rafael to stop medium-range missiles, will be activated by 2014.
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