The Palestinian rocket arsenal used in the Arab–Israeli conflict includes a wide range of rockets and missiles, varying in design, size and payload capacity. Palestinian rockets include those locally made in Gaza and the West Bank as well as weapons smuggled from Iran and Syria. Rockets are used in attacks on Israel, mostly to target Israeli civilian centers[1] in addition to Israeli military posts. Various Palestinian groups have used rockets against Israel including Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, as well as left-wing groups.[2] Rockets are one of the main weapons produced by Palestinian militant and terrorist groups.

Types of rockets

Range of Palestinian rockets (shot from Gaza)
Sderot factory bursting into flames following rocket strike
  • al Nasser – used by Popular Resistance Committees and left-wing militant organizations[2]
    • al Nasser-3
    • al Nasser-4
  • al Quds – a homemade rocket used by Islamic Jihad[2]
    • Al Quds 101
    • Al Quds 102
  • Arafat used by the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and Fatah, launched from the West Bank[2][3]
    • Arafat 1
    • Arafat 2
  • Aqsa-3 – used by the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and Fatah[2]
  • Bahaa – developed by Al Aksa Martyrs Brigade, named after Saed Bahaa, launched from West Bank[3]
  • Cenin – a rocket used by Fatah[2]
  • Fajr-5 – an Iranian artillery rocket first developed in the 1990s[4]
  • M-75 – Gazan produced Fajr-5 rocket,[5] used in attacks on Tel Aviv, Israel's most populated city. Hamas has produced the M-75 rockets in local workshops using the drawings and documentation supplied by Iran. The location of the workshops is unknown, though Hamas has displayed their production on Gaza television stations.[6][7]
  • Jenin-1 – used by Fatah
  • Kafah – used by Fatah
  • Katushya – a Soviet Grad rocket,[8] first used in 2006 in a strike that killed two Israeli Bedouin Arabs; at the time the Katushya's range exceeded the Qassam.[9] Soviet designation for the rocket originally was M-21-OF, later changed to 9M22.
  • KN-103 – rocket referenced in threat by Fatah,[10] use and existence unknown
  • M-302 (M302), Palestinian designation R160 (R-160) – a Chinese designed, Syrian made rocket, used in attacks on cities near Jerusalem[11][12][13] and Haifa[1]
  • Qassam (or Kassam) – a Gazan produced rocket used by Hamas[8]
    • Qassam 1 – weighs 35 kilograms and is 180 centimeters long[14]
    • Qassam 2 – weighs 40 kilograms and is 180 centimeters long[14]
    • Qassam 3 – weighs 50 kilograms and is 220 centimeters long[14]
    • Qassam 4 – weighs 40–50 kilograms and is 244 centimeters long[14]
  • Saria-2 – used by Tanzim
  • Sumoud – in use by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
  • Ayyash-250 - with a range of 250 km (155 miles) - used by Hamas[15]
  • Badr-3 - unveiled by Palestinian Islamic Jihad in 2019, carries a 300-400 kg warhead [15]

Anti-tank missiles

Rocket launchers

Impact

As of July 2014 Palestinian attacks on Israel using rockets have killed 28 people, mostly civilians, and injured more than 1,900 people, but their main effect is their creation of widespread psychological trauma and disruption of daily life among the Israeli populace.[16] Medical studies in Sderot, the Israeli city closest to the Gaza Strip, have documented a post-traumatic stress disorder incidence among young children of almost 50%, as well as high rates of depression and miscarriage.[17][18][19]

Israel Iron Dome is Israel's first line of defense against Palestinian rockets, demonstrating an effectiveness of around 90%.[20]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Rocket attacks Haifa." The Telegraph. Accessed 12 August 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Israel using a variety of weapons." Daily Sabah. 22 July 2014.
  3. 1 2 Klein, Aaron. "Israel deliberately minimizing rocket threat?." yNet News. 11 May 2006.
  4. ↑ Vital Perspective: North Korea. Retrieved on 12 May 2008.
  5. ↑ "333mm Fajr 5 (M-75)". 28 October 2013.
  6. ↑ "Hamas produces rockets as fighting winds down." The Guardian. 13 August 2014.
  7. ↑ "M75 strikes Tel Aviv Archived 6 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine." Maan News Accessed 12 August 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Hamas Rocket Arsenal." Business Insider. July 2014.
  9. ↑ "Katushya fired from Gaza." BBC. 28 March 2006.
  10. ↑ "Israel Channel 24 News Archived 12 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine." Accessed 12 August 2014.
  11. ↑ "Syrian made M302." The Jerusalem Post. Accessed 12 August 2014.
  12. ↑ "Hamas firing chia designed rockets." NBC News. Accessed 12 August 2014.
  13. ↑ "Long range Hamas rockets." IBTimes. 10 August 2014.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "What are Qassams? Archived 14 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine." Jewish policy center.
  15. 1 2 Hinz, Fabian (19 May 2021). "Iran Transfers Rockets to Palestinian Groups". Wilson Center. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  16. ↑ Martin Patience, Playing cat and mouse with Gaza rockets, BBC News 28 February 2008
  17. ↑ Report: Missiles on Sderot increase miscarriages, Jerusalem Post 24 February 2013
  18. ↑ Study: Half of Sderot's toddlers suffering from PTSD, Ynet News 30 June 2009
  19. ↑ Israeli survey: Almost half of Sderot preteens show symptoms of PTSD, Haaretz 20 November 2012
  20. ↑ Iron Dome, explained
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