I think any rocket capable of reaching Tel Aviv from Gaza is a little bit bigger than an RPG rocket. But, yes, you put your finger on the problem. Israel has limited numbers of interceptors and Hamas has lots of cheap rockets that they can fire in waves or as decoys.
I have to assume that Iron Dome works pretty much like Patriot III: The radar plots the incoming missile and if it’s determined that it won’t strike anything of value they don’t launch an interceptor.
I didn’t mean they are literally launching RPG rounds.
The Palestinian rockets I’ve seen are made out of a length of metal pipe and have a cantaloupe-sized explosive warhead.
I guess that is a bit larger than a grenade.
The main thing is that they’re unguided, crude, and very inexpensive. Especially compared to an Iron Dome anti-missile-missile.
Some years ago, the sewer systems in several Palestinian towns collapsed because they had taken all the pipe to make rockets.
The towns were flooded with raw sewage. International outcry caused Israel to send them emergency shipments of pipe. They immediately used this pipe to make more rockets.
“...if it’s determined that it won’t strike anything of value they don’t launch”
That’s the way they work. There was an article on FR yesterday that revealed that they don’t go after the ones that are going to land in a field.