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Qassam rocket

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The remnants of an exploded Qassam rocket that was fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel.

The Qassam rocket (also Qassam missile or Kassam) is a simple homemade steel rocket filled with explosives, developed by the Palestinian organization Hamas. Three models have been used, all of which lack a guidance system. The Gaza Strip, from which all but one of the Qassams have been launched, is surrounded by an internment fence. Palestinian militants have therefore had difficulty launching the rockets from outside Gaza. The Qassam is intended to travel over the barrier and strike Israeli targets outside the strip.

History of the Qassam

Qassam rockets are named after the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military branch of Hamas. According to the Hamas, the Qassam rocket was first developed by Nidal Fat'hi Rabah Farahat and produced under the direction of Adnan al-Ghoul, known as the "Father of the Qassam," who was killed by the Israeli army in October 2004.

Qassams were first fired at Israeli targets in October 2001. However, due to their short range, all landed inside the Gaza Strip. The first Qassam to land in Israeli territory was launched on February 10, 2002. The first time an Israeli city was hit was on March 5, 2002, when two rockets struck Sderot. The total number of Qassam rockets launched exceeded 1000 by June 9, 2006. Large numbers of rockets began landing in the Western Negev in March of 2006: 49 in March, 64 in April, 46 in May, and over 83 by the end of June. This prompted protests and a demonstration in the town of Sderot, which has been a major target.

Israeli cities and towns have been the main target of Qassams. In some areas, such as Sderot and some Israeli settlements in Gaza, shelling occurred frequently. They usually land in open areas, but Qassam rockets have killed 6 to 8 Israelis, three foreign workers and some Palestinians to date. The first fatalities caused by a Qassam occurred on September 29, 2004. A rocket fell in the town of Sderot, killing Dorit Benisian, aged 2 and Yuval Abebeh, 4.

In August 2003, a Qassam traveled five miles from the Gaza Strip into Israel and landed near Ashkelon. Another rocket landed near Ashkelon on December 15, 2005, and rockets have hit near the city on several subsequent occasions. On June 29, 2006 a dud rocket landed in a neighborhood of Ashkelon for the first time. Ashkelon is the farthest city from Gaza to have been struck by the rockets. The city provides numerous attractive targets besides its civilian population. Defined as 'national infrastructure' installations, the Rottenberg Power Station and the Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline have both been hit a few times causing minor damage.

Other Israeli communities in the Negev to have been hit by Qassam rockets include Or HaNer, Nirim, and Nahal Oz.

On December 26, 2005, the military wing of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed it possessed "Grad" rockets with a range of 25 kilometers (about 15 miles), and that it could hit southern Israel communities previously immune to rocket threat. The group claimed, however, that it will not launch the rockets unless the IDF attacks the Gaza Strip or assassinates one of their leaders.

Reaction

Despite the Qassam's meager characteristics as a rocket, its use shocked the Israeli army and public, who are used to the Palestinians lacking any method of long-range warfare. Hezbollah, in contrast, has long shelled Israel from Lebanon using the Katyusha rocket, hitting cities as well as farms and military targets in the sparsely populated northern border zone.

Most of the launches prior to 2006 were carried out by Hamas from the Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. Following Hamas's victory in Palestinian elections, other groups such as Islamic Jihad and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade have taken over the firings.

In order to minimize casualties, the IDF has deployed the Red Dawn early defense system in Sderot and later on in Ashkelon and other smaller civilian concentration at risk. The system consists of an advanced radar that detects rockets as they are being launched. Loudspeakers warn civilians to take cover approximately 20 seconds before impact in an attempt to minimize much of the threat posed by the rockets. In November 2005, the press reported that the Israel Defense Forces would be purchasing Skyshield, a Swiss-designed rapid fire anti-aircraft defense system specifically to counter any future Qassam attacks.[1]

Israel has tried to stop the development and manufacture of such rockets by extensive crackdowns on militants, including assassinations, and by the destruction of facilities (such as metal shops) which are, or could be used for their construction. It has also destroyed the family homes of many Palestinians involved in the construction or firing of rockets.

Qassam launches have also been the catalyst for a number of large-scale Israeli raids on Gaza, such as Operation Days of Penitence in October 2004. Operation Summer Rains, begun June 27, was triggered by the abduction of Cpl. Gilad Shalit from an Israeli outpost, but it also reflected pressure on the Israel government and IDF to stop the Qassams.

On March 29, 2006, IDF vessels shelled rocket launching sites in the Gaza Strip for the first time. The IDF directed artillery shells at areas in Gaza used by rocket launching cells, mostly in the northern part of the Strip, in a bid to deter militant cells from operating there.

In the course of these bombardments, which in some cases lasted hours at a time, dozens of shells were launched. The IDF has said the fire is very accurate and never aimed at populated areas, in order to prevent Palestinian civilian casualties.[2]

West Bank fears

A particular concern for the Israelis is the development of longer range Qassam missiles that if fielded by Hamas in the West Bank would be used to strike at the cities in the country's coastal heartland. Numerous attempts have been made to transfer the production of the rockets to the West Bank, but most have failed, as there has only been one rocket attack from that region.

On December 11, 2005, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed to have fired a Qassam rocket from the West Bank at Israeli civilian targets.[3] However, Israeli officials denied such a launch took place, saying the claim was either a lie or the rocket malfunctioned.[4] Three days later, on December 14, an Israeli operation in the West Bank town of Nablus uncovered explosive labs which were producing Qassam rockets.[5] In January 2006, however, Israel reported that a Qassam had indeed been launched from the West Bank.[6]

On April 9, 2006, the elite Duvdevan Battalion killed Tanzim fugitive Jabar Akhras in Bethlehem after he opened fire on them during an arrest operation. Akhras personally killed two Israeli soldiers on November 18, 2003, and Israel said he had been the leading figure in attempting to build Qassams in the West Bank.[7]

On July 9, 2006, a Palestinian militant attempt to fire an improvised rocket in the Tulkarem failed. Several Palestinian sources boasted during the weekend that they "managed" to launch a rocket, but it turned out that the attempt totally failed.[8]

On July 11, 2006, for the second time in past few days Palestinian militants attempted to launch a rocket from northern West Bank into Israel. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and The Al-Quds brigades claimed they succeeded in launching a rocket from the West Bank town of Jenin into Israel. IDF officials have denied any knowledge regarding the rocket launch attempt, saying that if one took place the rocket may not have reached the lift-off stage.[9]

Katyusha fears

On March 28, 2006, Islamic Jihad fired a 122mm Katyusha rocket (2.8 meters long, weighing 66 kilograms and carrying a 17-kilogram warhead), a much longer-range projectile than the Qassam, from the Gaza Strip into Israel.[10] Katyushas have never before been fired from the Palestinian controlled areas. It is believed that it was apparently orchestrated by Hezbollah, since they are known to use these rockets in northern Israel. Islamic Jihad spokesman Abu Abdullah claimed that hundreds of these rockets were smuggled into the Strip by ship across the Gaza-Egypt border from Sinai. Israeli officials downplayed Islamic Jihad's announcement and said the militant group was in possession of only "a small amount" of Katyushas.[11]

It caused no injuries or damage, but the IDF believes that this could be the beginning of a new era of rockets fired at Israel, replacing highly inaccurate Qassam rockets with Katyushas.[12] It also raised fears that Gaza-based militant groups might have obtained additional weaponry, including anti-aircraft missiles.

List of notable Qassam attacks

  • June 28, 2004, Mordechai Yosepov, 49, and Afik Zahavi, 4, were killed when a Qassam rocket fired by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip struck near a nursery school in the northern Negev town of Sderot.[13]
  • September 29, 2004, On the eve of the Sukkot holiday, Yuval Abebeh, 4, and Dorit Benisian, 2, were killed by a Qassam rocket fired from Gaza into Sderot. About 30 people were wounded in the attack, for which Hamas claimed responsibility.[14]
  • June 7, 2005, Salah Ayash Imran, 57, Muhammed Mahmoud Jaroun, and Bi Shude, 46, were killed, and five other workers were wounded, when a Qassam rocket hit a packing shed in Ganei Tal, in the Gaza Strip. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.[16]
  • July 14, 2005, Dana Galkowicz, 22, was killed in a Qassam attack in the Kibbutz Netiv Ha'asara, just north of the Gaza Strip. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah all claimed responsibility for the attack.[17]
  • September 24, 2005, five Israelis were injured when Palestinian militants launched about 30 rockets on Israeli communities from the Gaza Strip. This attack followed an incident the previous day, in which 20 Palestinians, including 16 civilians, were killed when a vehicle carrying Qassam rockets exploded during a Hamas rally in Jabalya. The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are still unknown. To date, no evidence has been found to substantiate Hamas’ claim that Israeli interference was responsible for the accident.[18]
  • December, 2005, a Qassam rocket launched from the West Bank hit near the moshav of Ram-on, near the northern town of Afula.[6]
  • March 28, 2006, a Qassam rocket lying on the ground exploded, killing two Israeli-Arab shepherds in Kibbutz Nachal Oz. This incident was at first falsely reported as being a loose IDF shell that exploded. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.[21]
  • March 30, 2006, Two Qassam rockets landed in Kibbutz Karmiya, south of Ashkelon, one of them landed in a soccer field, where children played only hours earlier, and injured one person.
  • July 5, 2006, First Qassam rocket of increased strength is fired into the school yard in the Southern Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon, with a population of 120,000. This has been the first instance of an increased distance Qassam rockets can reach and the first time a significantly large city has been attacked. No one was injured in this attack.[24]
  • July 6, 2006, A second Qassam was fired and hit Ashkelon 24 hours after the first. Eight people went into shock, four of them children.[25]

Qassam rocket models

Qassam 3 Qassam 2 Qassam 1
Length (cm) 200+ 180 79
Diameter (cm) 17 15 6
Weight (kg) 90 32 5.5
Explosives Payload (kg) 10 5-7 0.5
Maximum Range (km) 10 8-10 3

Similar rockets

Other Palestinian armed groups also developed home-made rockets, but they are much less common than Hamas' Qassam rocket. The media frequently refer to all Palestinian high-trajectory rockets as "Qassam rockets" or "Qassam missiles", as it refers to most rockets fired from Lebanon as "Katyushas".

References

  1. ^ http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/01E1EAB3-82F1-4D2F-A392-318BFD1EE23A.htm
  2. ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3234036,00.html
  3. ^ http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-12/12/content_3908070.htm
  4. ^ http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=94621
  5. ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3184370,00.html
  6. ^ a b Shaked, Ronny (2006-01-01). "Qassam fired from West Bank". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2006-07-15. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1143498825826&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
  8. ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3273173,00.html
  9. ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3273694,00.html
  10. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4855056.stm
  11. ^ http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1143498764634&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
  12. ^ http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/699852.html
  13. ^ http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Memorial/2004/Afik+Zahavi.htm
  14. ^ http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Memorial/2004/Yuval+Abebeh+and+Dorit+Aniso.htm
  15. ^ http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Memorial/2005/Victims/Ayala-Haya+Abukasis.htm
  16. ^ http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Memorial/2005/Victims/Bi+Shude.htm
  17. ^ http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Memorial/2005/Victims/Dana+Galkowicz.htm
  18. ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3146445,00.html
  19. ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3190485,00.html
  20. ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3210491,00.html
  21. ^ http://israelnn.com/news.php3?id=100958
  22. ^ http://www.jnewswire.com/article/926
  23. ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3261205,00.html
  24. ^ http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=106594
  25. ^ http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=2812
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