CAIRO: Israel announced on Wednesday it would establish a number of “Iron Dome” rocket interceptors on its southern border with Egypt along the Sinai Peninsula in what they said would curtail cross-border attacks in the area. Ironically, a cross-border raid last September was conducted by Israeli soldiers chasing after suspected militants who had attacked the southern city of Eilat. That raid led to the killing of at least four Egyptian soldiers and caused widespread protests and anger toward Israel's embassy in Egypt. The country's media reported on Wednesday that it would be the first time the interceptors were being deployed near Egypt, but they have been used to track rocket attacks from Gaza. An Israeli military spokeswoman said the battery “will be placed near Eilat as part of an operational deployment program which includes changing the locations of the batteries from time to time,” in comments published by Reuters news agency. Iron Dome, a system produced with American funding, uses radar-guided missiles to blow up Katyusha-style rockets with ranges of 5-70 km (3-45 miles) and mortar bombs in mid-air, Reuters said. The border with Egypt has become a contentious issue in recent years, with thousands of African migrants attempting to cross into Israel from Egypt. The result has seen Israel over the past month begin to deport Africans from the country in a move that has human rights groups angered. Israel has also called on Egyptian border security to do more to stop the flow of migrants and weapons in the Sinai Peninsula, which Israel argues is leading to attacks on Israeli citizens.
