(by Andrea Pinto) Today's Israeli airstrikes on Gaza resulted in the deaths of 33 Palestinians, including eight children, Gaza health officials told Reuters, while Hamas militants fired a barrage of rockets this morning at 'Sunrise. The death toll in Gaza records a total of 181 deaths, including 47 children, while 10 people, including two children, were killed in Israel.

The premier Benjamin Netanyahu said last Saturday that Israel was "still in the middle of this operation, it is not finished yet and this operation will continue for as long as necessary ”.

The Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres on Saturday he reminded all parties that "any indiscriminate attack against civilian and media structures violates international law and must be avoided at all costs ".

President Joe Biden's envoy Hady Amr arrived in Israel on Friday for some talks as Biden spoke on the phone with Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas late Saturday evening. 

One fact is there for all to see, any mediation is complicated as the United States and most of the Western powers do not dialogue with Hamas, which they consider a terrorist organization.

In Palestine, the Hamas missile campaign against Israel has also shown world public opinion that President Abbas, supported by the West, is unable to interfere with Hamas and therefore cannot stop the ongoing campaign.

In the absence of a diplomatic breakthrough, Egypt opened the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza on Sunday, a day earlier than expected after the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, to facilitate the passage for people in need of medical and other treatment. humanitarian cases.

On the source, both Israel and Hamas said they wanted to continue the tightened military operations in these hours after Israel destroyed a 12-story building in Gaza that housed the newsrooms of the Associated Press need   Al Jazeera.

The Israeli army, in this regard, said that the al-Jala building was a legitimate military target, as it housed the offices of the Hamas military. Israel claims to have warned civilians in advance to leave the building. 

The Associated Press, in a statement, condemned the attack and asked Israel to provide evidence. "We had no indication that Hamas was in the building or was active in the building".

Hamas in retaliation fired 120 rockets during the night. Israelis rushed into underground shelters as sirens warned of rocket fire in Tel Aviv and the southern city of Beersheba. About 10 people were injured as they ran into the shelters.

In Israel, the continuing conflict has greatly exacerbated anger among communities in mixed Arab-Jewish cities. Synagogues were attacked and Arab-owned shops vandalized. There has also been a surge in clashes since last Friday in the West Bank, at least 15 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops.

Israel's Iron Dome Defense System

When Israel launches airstrikes and artillery bombardments on Gaza, the Palestinians lack effective protection. But when Palestinians fire rockets at the Jewish state, Israel can count on one of the most proven air defense systems in the world: theIron Dome. 

At least 90% of the rockets were stopped by the Iron Dome, according to the Israeli military, a system built by Israeli defense companies and funded and developed together with the United States. 

"The number of Israelis killed and injured would be much higher if it weren't for the Iron Dome system, which was a lifesaver as always"IDF spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said. 

Iron Dome was designed to shoot down rudimentary and short-range missiles and was first used 10 years ago to intercept missiles launched by Hamas from Gaza. 

Its development was accelerated after the one-month war with Hezbollah and with Hamas three years later. 

Justin Bronk, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies, said much of his success is due to a sophisticated radar system that allows the Iron Dome to quickly determine which incoming rockets are likely to hit built-up areas. determine which ones will fall into uninhabited areas.

Iron Dome is deployed in 10 batteries across the country, each capable of firing up to 800 missiles at incoming threats. Because it is designed for short-range and slower rockets, the missiles it uses are relatively small and inexpensive compared to those used in other air defenses, such as the US Patriot system. 

The Obama administration increased US funding by $ 1,5 billion for the Iron Dome to show support for Israel but also to prevent conflict escalation. 

The Financial Times reports an analysis of Ulrike Franke, a representative to the European Council for Foreign Relations. Ulrike said this week's events highlighted "political importance"Dell 'Iron Dome. "It allowed the Israelis to continue a somewhat normal life while under attack. It gives the government some leeway; if Hamas attacks killed hundreds of Israeli civilians, the Israeli government would be forced to intervene decisively with a ground operation. With the protection of the Iron Dome, the government has more freedom to maneuver. However, on the other hand, it also gives the government the freedom not to try to find a peaceful solution, as it can sustain the attacks without significant harm. 

However, the range of the missiles launched this week by Hamas terrorized the population in the neighborhoods where they managed to fall by evading the air defenses. 

The Israeli army and intelligence were surprised by Hamas' massive missile campaign. In all this there is a risk, that of engaging the Israeli air defenses for too long in the face of the persistent threat of Hezbollah which has a larger and much more sophisticated supply of missiles than Palestinian activists. Hezbollah it has an arsenal of over 100.000 missiles and is much better equipped to fire sustained bursts in large numbers. Many of its rockets are now equipped with Iranian guidance devices, certainly more accurate than before. 

This is most likely the Achilles' heel of the Iron Dome system. An offensive campaign by Hamas and Hezbollah carried out together does not mean that it can be effectively supported by Israeli air defenses.

Israel's Iron Dome has a weak point: the simultaneous launch of Hezbollah missiles