Israel's much-vaunted Iron Dome missile defence system is intercepting a barrage of rockets fired by Hamas and other Palestinian militants from Gaza as bloody clashes escalate.
It is the cornerstone of Israel's aerial defence set-up, designed to shoot rockets out of the sky.
According to the Israeli military on Tuesday, 200 of the more than 480 rockets that were fired the day before had been intercepted by the system.
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On Wednesday, the military updated the figure to more than 1,000 rockets launched towards Israel, of which 850 landed or were shot down.
Israeli authorities claimed that about 200 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israeli territory exploded inside the Gaza Strip.
Israel's Iron Dome aerial defence system intercepts a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip, controlled by the Palestinian Hamas movement, above the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon. AFP
Israel's Iron Dome aerial defence system intercepts a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip, controlled by the Palestinian Hamas movement, above the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon. AFP
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system fires to intercept rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from Ashkelon, southern Israel. Reuters
Trails of rockets fired by Israel's Iron Dome air defense system are seen in the sky over Ashdod, Israel. EPA
Smoke trails are seen as Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from Ashkelon. Reuters
A rocket launched from Gaza city controlled by the Palestinian Hamas movement is intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome aerial defence system. AFP
Israel's Iron Dome aerial defence system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, controlled by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, above the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon. AFP
A streak of light is seen as Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon. Reuters
The Israeli Iron Dome anti-rocket defense system in action against a rocket fired from Gaza Strip, in the city of Ashkelon, Israel. EPA
Israel's Iron Dome aerial defence system is launched to intercept a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip, controlled by the Palestinian Hamas movement, above the southern Israeli city of Ashdod. AFP
An Iron Dome aerial defence system battery is seen in the foreground as fire rages at Ashkelon's refinery. AFP
Israeli soldiers stand next to a Iron Dome aerial defence system set to intercept rockets launched from the Gaza Strip. AFP
The Israeli-designed Iron Dome system is meant to protect populated areas and critical assets by neutralising short-range aerial threats.
Each battery has a radar detection and tracking system, a firing control system and three launchers for 20 interceptor missiles. Each has a range of between four and 70 kilometres.
The head of the Israel Missile Defence Organisation, Moshe Patel, said that, as of January, the Iron Dome had intercepted more than 2,400 projectiles during the past decade.
An interceptor missile is meant to fire only if the trajectory of the rocket appears to be headed towards populated or important areas. With each launch reportedly costing almost $50,000, Mr Patel told the Times of Israel that it had "saved hundreds of lives".
The interceptors are fired vertically from the mobile or static Iron Dome sites and hit the incoming projectile, destroying the rocket mid-air. The trails from the winding interceptors and the blast smoke have become a common sight over Israeli cities near the Gaza Strip whenever there are outbreaks of violence.
Israeli military officials say that the system is 90 per cent effective at downing rockets, although analysts question the numbers.
One concern is that while the system may be capable of preventing sporadic salvos even if they number hundreds of rockets, they could be overwhelmed by a sustained massive bombardment.
Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah on the Lebanese border possess hundreds of thousands of rockets.
The first battery was installed in March 2011 near the southern city of Beersheva – 40 kilometres from the Gaza Strip, and a favourite Hamas target – to combat Soviet-designed Grad rockets fired from the Palestinian territory.
Israel now has 10 such batteries.
Iron Dome was developed by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, a state-owned arms company in the northern city of Haifa.
But it is also partly funded by the US, which committed $5 billion to its development costs in 2016.
It is one of the strategic pillars of the US-Israeli alliance that has been followed by successive Democratic and Republican administrations.
In August 2019, the US army signed a contract to purchase two Iron Dome batteries to enhance its own short-range missile defence capabilities.
Israeli artillery in action as the escalation continues between the Israeli army and Hamas at the Gaza Border. EPA
Mourners attend the funeral of Palestinian Rashid Abu Ara, 16, who was killed during clashes with Israeli troops in village of Aqaba near Nablus, north of the West Bank. AFP
A heavily damaged house in a residential area in the city of Yehud, in central Israel. AFP
Parents of Palestinian man Abdulsalam Al-Ghazali, who was killed amid a flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian violence, react during their son funeral in Gaza City. Reuters
Residents look at a car that was hit in an Israeli air strike, on the main road in Gaza City. Three people who were in the vehicle died. AP
Palestinians mourn the death of relatives outside a hospital in Beit Lahia following a series of Israeli air strikes on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. AFP
Israeli Arabs treat a sheep that was wounded by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, where nearby a father and his daughter were killed, in the village of Dahmash near the Israeli city of Lod. AP
An injured man receives treatment at the scene after a rocket launched from the Gaza strip struck in Giv'atayim, Israel. Getty
A man looks at the damage in the aftermath of overnight Israeli air strikes on Gaza. EPA
A Jewish man at a burnt-out synagogue after overnight riots between Arab and Jewish residents in Lod, Israel. EPA
Relatives of Palestinian Rashid Abu Arra, 16, who was killed during clashes with Israeli troops in the village of Aqqaba near Nablus at the hospital morgue in Tubas in the occupied West Bank. AFP
Rubble from the Hanadi tower after an Israeli air strike on Gaza City. EPA
Israeli security forces pass burnt-out vehicles in Holon near Tel Aviv. AFP
A huge crater in Gaza City caused by the Israeli air strikes. AFP
A broken mannequin near a tower building in Gaza City that was hit by Israeli air strikes during the flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian violence. Reuters
Fires at sunrise in Khan Yunish after an Israeli air strike on targets in the southern Gaza strip. AFP
Palestinian rescuers move an elderly woman from a building in Gaza City after Israeli air strikes in the area. AP Photo
Palestinians evacuate after their tower building was hit by Israeli air strikes, in Gaza City. Reuters
The remains of a rocket, destroyed by Israel's Iron Dome aerial defence system, which was fired by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas from the Gaza strip. AFP
An Iron Dome aerial defence system battery is seen in the foreground as fire rages at Ashkelon's refinery, which was hit by Hamas rockets the previous day, in the southern Israeli city. AFP
Palestinians stand next to the remains of a tower building which was destroyed in Israeli air strikes, in Gaza City. Reuters
A Palestinian man holds an injured girl awaiting medical care at al-Shifa hospital, after an Israeli air strike in Gaza city. AFP
People take shelter in the basement of a building in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv as alarm sirens wailed after 3:00 a.m. after rockets were launched towards Israel from the Gaza Strip. AFP
Israeli border police vehicles drive past an extinguished burnt vehicle in Lod near Tel Aviv, after rockets were launched towards Israel from the Gaza Strip controlled by the Palestinian Hamas movement. AFP
An Israeli police officer gestures to a Palestinian woman and her daughter, frightened by clashes outside of the Damascus Gate to the Old City of Jerusalem. AP Photo
Israeli firefighters walk by a car with a fallen tree on it after it was hit by a rocket fired from Gaza towards Holon, Israel. Reuters
Palestinians inspect a destroyed Hanadi tower after Israeli airstrike in Gaza City. EPA
Arab Israelis gesture and wave Palestinian flags during the funeral of Mousa Hassouna in the central Israeli city of Lod near Tel Aviv. Hassouna was killed during clashes with Israeli security following an anti-Israel demonstration over tensions in Jerusalem. AFP
Rescuers rush to help among the rubble in front of Al Sharouk tower, that collapsed after being hit by an Israeli air strike, in Gaza city on Wednesday. AFP
Palestinians view the smouldering remains of Al Sharouk tower, which collapsed after being hit by an Israeli air strike. AFP
Smoke and flames rise from Al Sharouk tower, as it collapses after being hit by an Israeli air strike in Gaza City. AFP
Al Sharouk tower block collapses after being hit by an Israeli air strike. AFP
A man peers out to survey destroyed buildings in Gaza city, following Israeli air strikes. AFP
A plume of black smoke rises into the air in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, following an Israeli air strike on the area, which is controlled by the militant Hamas movement. AFP
Parts of a broken mannequin lie scattered near a building that was hit by Israeli air strikes in Gaza city. Reuters
A Palestinian woman mourns her son Rasheed Abu Arra, who was killed during confrontations with Israeli forces, at his funeral in the village of Aqaba, near the West Bank town of Tubas. AP Photo
Women mourn at the funeral of Palestinian Rasheed Abu Arra, who was killed during confrontations with Israeli forces, in the town of Aqaba, near Tubas, in the West Bank. Reuters
Israel's Iron Dome air defence system intercepts a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip, above the southern Israeli city of Ashdod. AFP
Israel has other missile defence systems such as the Arrow, to counter ballistic missiles, and David's Sling, for medium-range rocket or missile attacks.
The idea of the three systems is to create a protective bubble around Israel that can defend against short-range rockets, like those from Gaza, longer-range rockets, like those they fear could be fired from Syria, or even longer range threats posed by Iran or others farther away.
Military experts say 13 Iron Dome batteries are needed to be able to defend the whole of Israeli territory, with its tense border with Syria also particularly at risk of attack.
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Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.
September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.
WHERE TO STAY:
Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.
Slow loris biog
From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets
Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation
Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night
Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
