In first, Iron Dome to be deployed in central Israel

For the first time, the Iron Dome rocket defense system will be deployed in the center of the country, the Israel Defense Forces announced Sunday.

According to the IDF, the deployment was planned in advance and is part of the military’s efforts to integrate Iron Dome into its strategic capabilities.

The system has been deployed from time to time in various parts of the country, and will now be stationed in the Tel Aviv area.

Iron Dome is a mobile air defense system, capable of intercepting short-range rockets and artillery shells. It has been deployed in the past in the northern and southern parts of the country and has successfully intercepted rockets from Gaza.

Recently, the Defense Ministry announced it would pull back its use of the system in the face of budget cuts. The system would only be deployed outside strategic assets like air bases, it said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later promised that budget cuts would not effect Iron Dome.