General says Iron Dome misfired last night due to ‘over-sensitivity ‘

The head of Israel’s air defenses says the unnecessary launch of Iron Dome interceptor missiles last night was the result of the system’s “over-sensitivity” and was not caused by a human or technical error.

According to Brig. Gen. Tzvika Haimovitch, the system misidentified automatic gunfire from the Gaza Strip as incoming rockets heading toward the southern Israeli community of Zikim.

Haimovitch tells reporters that this was not a bug in the system, but the result of it being programmed to be more sensitive in light of the current unrest in the area.

Late last night, Iron Dome missile defense batteries in southern Israel launched approximately 20 interceptors — each costing approximately $50,000 — which in turn set off incoming rocket sirens throughout the region, sending thousands of residents rushing into bomb shelters shortly before midnight.

— Judah Ari Gross