That Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system was deceived into firing interceptors against non-targets has given Hamas an unexpected leg up in its coming showdown with the IDF. On Monday, March 26, high-ranking Israeli officials and military brass made an effort to dismiss this incident which occurred the night before as a mere “technical malfunction’ that would soon be repaired. The multiple explosions caused by active Iron Dome interceptions of thin air sent more than a million civilians living in Sderot and Ashkelon scrambling for shelters. One local reporter claimed excitedly that he had witnessed “the heaviest rocket barrage” since the Gaza war four years ago.
The former OC southern command, Housing Minister Yoav Galant, led the chorus of reassurance: “So what if there was a technical fault? We’ll get it fixed. Iron Dome has brought huge benefits.” The panic began to subside late Sunday night when the Israeli military spokesman announced that the rocket alert and anti-missile fire were triggered by heavy machine gun fire occurring as part of an ongoing Hamas drill in the Gaza Strip. The incident would be investigated, he said, moving on to announce that the IDF had raided another two Hamas lookout points in the enclave.
But this was not the only notable incident in the run-up to the major operation, the “March of Millions,” which Hamas has scheduled for the six weeks beginning on Passover Eve, March 30, and ending on May 15 when Israel celebrates its 70th anniversary. READ MORE
