In their three-week offensive against Hamas at the start of the year, Israeli forces confronted tough challenges. On average it took Palestinian rocket teams about 90 seconds to emerge from hideouts in the densely populated Gaza Strip and launch their weapons.

With so little time to identify suspicious targets and either attack or dismiss them, the IDF relied heavily on its arsenal of hi-tech weaponry. A complex network of unmanned aerial vehicles, high-powered computers and precision munitions gave Israel an edge.