Rafael, in conjunction with Israel's Ministry of Defense, announced on September 18th, 2025, the completion of final trials for the Iron Beam 450, the world's first operational high-energy laser defense system. The system successfully intercepted rockets, mortars, and UAVs with precision and near-zero cost per engagement, according to a statement released by Rafael. Over the past hour and a half, from approximately 1:02 AM to 2:32 AM UTC on September 18th, the Iron Beam 450 underwent landmark tests that demonstrated its capabilities in air defense. The system is designed for integration into Israel's multi-layered defense and offers extended range, faster response times, and scalability across various platforms, as stated by Rafael. Meanwhile, during this reporting period, the Israeli army continued bombing and destroying homes using car bombs northwest of Gaza City, according to a report from the Palestinian news network Quds News Network. This development follows Fiji's official opening of its embassy in Jerusalem on September 18th, 2025. Separately, an expert from The Heritage Foundation had suggested on September 17th that the U.S. should help scale the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's aid distribution to bypass Hamas. Previous reporting from September 17th also detailed Israeli Defense Forces' operations northwest of Gaza City, including heavy fire encompassing intelligence towers and armor advancing into the Sheikh Radwan quarter.
