US Senator Lindsey Graham says Iron Dome system performed ‘incredibly well’ in recent conflict with Hamas, will be replenished
with US help.
US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said Tuesday that Israel would ask the US for $1 billion in aid to replenish the Iron Dome missile defense system following Operation Guardian of the Walls last month.
“There will be a billion-dollar request coming to the Pentagon this week from the defense minister to replenish the Iron Dome and a few other things to upgrade the system,” Graham said at a news conference in Jerusalem Tuesday evening.
“The Iron Dome performed incredibly well, saving thousands of Israeli lives and tens of thousands of Palestinian lives, so I would imagine that the administration will say yes to this request and it will sail through Congress,” he added.
Israel and Hamas fought an 11-day war in May after Hamas launched seven rockets at Jerusalem. Over the course of the conflict, Hamas and Islamic Jihad launched over 4,300 rockets at Israel.
The Iron Dome system intercepted 90% of the rockets which were fired at Israeli population centers during the conflict. Despite this, 13 people were killed in Israel, including one soldier and 12 civilians.
(Arutz 7).