Israel's arms industry has ramped up production of interceptor missiles and other munitions in response to the country's continued wars on Iran and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, Haaretz reported.
Production is expected to increase to four times the usual rate and continue through the Jewish holiday of Pesach, according to the Israeli outlet's military correspondent Amos Harel.
The report comes as the joint Israeli-US war on Iran - initially slated to last weeks - continues into its second month, with little prospect of a ceasefire on the horizon. Despite wide-ranging strikes on Iran - including against its missile production capabilities - Tehran has continued to fire drones and missiles at Israel. From across the northern border, Hezbollah have targeted Israel with projectiles, while the Houthis have also joined the war and launched missiles.
Iranian missiles on Sunday targeted the Negev (Naqab), Be'er Sheva and Dimona, while interceptor shrapnel caused damage to a factory in the Ramat Hovav industrial zone.
According to the Haaretz report, Israel's defence ministry and arms industry began preparing for increased production after the last clash with Iran in June by importing munitions and raw materials.
“Months of preparation and early readiness have enabled the IDF to operate with virtually no constraints in Iran and Lebanon,” the Ministry of Defence's Director General Amir Baram said during a visit to arms manufacturer Elbit earlier in March.
“At the same time, we are now working to replenish all munitions expended in order to be prepared for any scenario. The decisions we made to expand and accelerate production lines in Israel before the operation will now allow us to take production rates to the next level.”
According to Harel, Israel's defence establishment is satisfied with the performance of the country's multi-layered air defence systems, which includes the Iron Dome, David's Sling, and the Iron Beam laser system. Despite this, Iranian rockets appear to have found gaps in Israel's defence, including through the use of cluster munitions.
Before the war, reports had emerged indicating some hesitancy within Israel about the start date of the attack on Iran, as interceptor missile stockpiles were yet to be fully replenished from the 12-day war in June.
The cost of the war has also raised concerns, with Israel and the US deploying multi-million-dollar munitions and technology to intercept Iranian missiles, which are manufactured for a fraction of the cost of shooting them down.
On Monday, Israel passed its biggest-ever budget, with massive increases in spending for the military and ultra-Orthodox amid a new wave of borrowing.
The Knesset voted 62-55 in favour of the $271 billion spending bill, which opposition leader Yair Lapid described as "the greatest theft in the history of the state".