Nightly News   |  November 19, 2012

Israel’s Iron Dome a ‘huge success’

The anti-missile system made in Israel and helped by American money, recognizes which rockets will hit an inhabited area and knocks them out while ignoring the others. NBC’s Martin Fletcher reports.

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This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.

>>> this is martin fletcher in southern israel where everyone is desperate to know, ground invasion of gaza or truce? officials say it is 50/50, leaving three and a half million israelis at the mercy of palestinian rockets, defended by israel 's new hero, the iron dome , an anti- missile defense system made in israel , helped by america. the missiles fired hit about 30 populated areas.

>> we enjoy the iron dome which is a huge success. and luckily --

>> reporter: there is a siren now?

>> right.

>> reporter: there is a siren now. just to see what happens --

>> it will only fire.

>> reporter: the system calculates which rockets will hit an inhabited area and knocks it out like here, and ignores all others. but it fails, too, missing about two out of ten, officials say making life scary. children in bomb shelters for the sixth straight days. i'm afraid of the sirens, seven-year-old romi says. and just as we left, not sure how many rockets are being fired right now. but the iron dome , one, two, three, four -- iron dome rockets are exploding. we'll see what damage it did. five rockets fired from gaza, four intercepted. one got through and fell in a garden. there is some drama right now because nobody knows exactly what happened, whether the casualties are happening right now. scaring some neighbors, others are defiant.

>> we will survive.

>> reporter: the iron dome costs almost $30 million, israel has at least 13 to protect the whole country and each rocket costs $113,000, but it is expensive. it buys time and would delay them taking revenge, and negotiate time for a truce.

>>> martin fletcher , we want to