JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says it has deployed an "Iron Dome" missile defense battery in the Tel Aviv area.

With the U.S. threatening to attack Syria over its alleged use of chemical weapons, Israel fears Damascus may respond by firing missiles at Israel, a close American ally. Israeli officials have sought to distance themselves from Syria's standoff with the West and believe the chances of a Syrian strike remain slim.

But the country has prepared itself nonetheless. It has called up reservists and deployed missile defense batteries in the northern part of the country. The military said Saturday the deployment has now extended to the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.

Large crowds have also gathered at gas-mask distribution centers across the country, waiting in long lines for protection kits.

Earlier on HuffPost:

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  • Produced by Israeli-based Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Iron Dome is meant to shoot down rockets and artillery shells with ranges of up to 70 kilometers, or 45 miles. It has been operational since 2011. <em>Caption: The Israeli military launch a missile from the Iron Dome defence missile system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells, in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod following the firing of rockets from the Gaza Strip on November 16, 2012. (DAVID BUIMOVITCH/AFP/Getty Images)</em>

  • How it works: The system detects launches of rockets and quickly determines their flight path. If it is headed toward populated areas or sensitive targets, it fires an interceptor with a special warhead that strikes the incoming rocket within seconds. Rockets headed toward open areas are allowed to land. <em>Caption: Israeli soldiers stand guard by the Iron Dome defense system launch site on November 17, 2012 in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Photo by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)</em>

  • Currently, five Iron Dome batteries are deployed in Israel. Most are located in the south near Gaza. A fifth battery was deployed outside Tel Aviv on Saturday, two months ahead of schedule. Hours later, it shot down a rocket headed toward Tel Aviv. <em>Caption: The trail of an Israeli missile launched from the Iron Dome air defence system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells, is pictured from the southern Israeli-Gaza border in response to a rocket launched from the nearby Gaza Strip on November 17, 2012. (JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images)</em>

  • Missiles cost around $40,000 a piece. In 2010, the U.S. provided $200 million to expand development. Additional funding is currently being considered, with $70 million already allocated for the 2012 fiscal year. <em>Caption: An Israeli Iron Dome missile is launched near the city of Be'er Sheva, southern Israel, to intercept a rocket fired from Gaza Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012. (AP Photo/Ahikam Seri)</em>

  • The system is part of what Israel calls its "multilayer missile defense". It is meant to protect against the tens of thousands of short-range rockets possessed by militants in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. Israel has also deployed its "Arrow" missile defense systems for long-range threats from Iran. The military says its new "David's Sling" system, being developed by Rafael to stop medium-range missiles, will be activated by 2014. <em>Caption: An Iron Dome missile is launched in Tel Aviv, to intercept a rocket fired from Gaza, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)</em>