Gaza rocket attack: Israeli energy pipeline hit as Iron Dome fails to intercept missile

In service for nearly a decade to protect Israel from rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, Iron Dome is credited with helping Israel to maintain military supremacy over its neighbours. 

But Iron Dome failed to intercept the projectile late Tuesday resulting in a major pipeline belonging to an Israeli state-owned energy company was hit in a rocket attack.

In the worst flare-up of violence in seven years, Israel launched hundreds of airstrikes and Palestinians fired hundreds of missiles so far this week, killing more than 70 people and injuring hundreds more amid rising fears the conflict could spiral into all-out war.

What started as a week of tense clashes in Jerusalem escalated on Wednesday into an aerial conflict and violent unrest on the streets of mixed Arab-Israeli towns.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the Israel-Palestine conflict and said he hopes that the hostilities will come to a conclusion.

"My expectation and hope are that this will be closing down sooner than later. But Israel has a right to defend itself when you have thousands of rockets flying into your territory. But I had a conversation for a while with the -- with the Prime Minister of Israel. And I think that -- my hope is that we will see this coming to a conclusion sooner than later," Biden told reporters at the White House.

(With inputs from agencies)