Israel’s missile defence system, known as Iron Dome, is to receive emergency funding from the United States of America.

The US Senate unanimously passed legislation before its summer break to provide the equivalent of 167 million euros for the system.

Republican Senator John McCain said: “We could not go out for a month or five weeks and not act to help the Israelis replenish their supply of Iron Dome missiles.”

Republican senators said the money will buy more missiles for Israel’s interceptor system.

The funding plan still needs to pass the House of Representatives and be signed by President Barack Obama.

“Not only have we been supportive of Israel in its right to defend itself but in very concrete terms for example in support for the Iron Dome programme that has intercepted rockets that are firing down on Israeli cities,” said the president.

Israel’s Iron Dome system has shot down most of the rockets fired at its cities by militants in Gaza during the current three-week conflict.