Qassams, Rockets and Mortar Bombs of the Palestinian Terrorist Organisations

1
Qassams, Rockets and Mortar Bombs of the
Palestinian Terrorist Organisations
Arabic text reads The Qassam Piercing the
fortresses
2
Qassam Facts and Figures

• More than 2,300 Qassams and Mortar bombs fired
  from Gaza at Israeli towns and communities in
  20071
• Thats 1 rocket or mortar bomb every 4 hours
• Since Israels unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in
  August 2007, more than 3,600 Qassams and mortars
  have been fired at Israel2
• Since Jan. 2001, 7,639 rockets and mortar bombs
  have been fired at Israeli civilians3
• In 2007, 2 people were killed and more than 127
  people were physically wounded by the rocket and
  mortar fire4
• According to the Israeli Police, 23 people have
  been killed and more than 458 injured by Qassams
  and mortar bombs since 20015
• Twenty-eight percent of Sderots 23,000 residents
  suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome6
• Seventy-four percent of children aged 7-12 show
  symptoms of fear and 57 percent have difficulty
  sleeping7
• More than 1,600 people have been treated for
  shock8

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What is a Qassam?
Source Israel Police Bomb Disposal Division
and Israel Information and Terrorism Information
Center
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Terrorist Groups and their Rockets

• Qassam is a generic label for rockets
  manufactured by Palestinian terrorist groups.
• Only Hamas rockets are called Qassams
• Each separate terrorist group designs and builds
  its own rockets and have their own names for them
• Hamas Qassam rocket
• Islamic Jihad - Al-Quds rocket
• Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades Al-Aqsa and Yasser
  rockets
• Popular Resistance Committees Nasser
• Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
  Samoud rocket

Source for following information Israel Police
Bomb Disposal Division and Israel Information
and Terrorism Information Center
5
Hamas Rockets
Qassam I

• Hamas produced the first Palestinian-made rocket
  calling it the Qassam
• First Appearance Oct. 27, 2001, Kibbutz Nir Am
• Range 4km
• Explosive in Warhead 0.5-1kg
• Diameter 60mm

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Hamas Rockets
Short-Range Qassam II

• First appearance Feb. 10, 2002
• Max. Range 7km
• Explosives in warhead 8kg
• Diameter 115mm
• Length 180cm
• Weight 30 40kg

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Hamas Rockets
Long-Range Qassam II

• Max. Range 10km
• Explosives in warhead 8kg
• Diameter 115mm
• Length 250cm
• Weight 50kg

8
Hamas Rockets
Qassam III

• First appearance June 11, 2006
• Dual Engine Rocket
• Range 13km
• Explosives in warhead 10kg
• Diameter 115mm
• Length 260cm
• Weight 40 - 50kg

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Palestinian Islamic Jihads Rockets
Al-Quds 101

• First appearance May / Nov 2005
• Range 9km
• Explosives in warhead 3-4kg
• Diameter 90 - 115mm
• Length
• Weight

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Palestinian Islamic Jihads Rockets
Al-Quds 2

• Range 6-7km
• Explosives in warhead 8kg
• Diameter 90 - 115mm
• Length 110-150cm
• Weight 23.5 - 33.5kg

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Palestinian Islamic Jihads Rockets
Al-Quds 3

• First appearance March 2006
• Range 6 - 9km
• Explosives in warhead 6 - 8kg
• Diameter 102 - 127.5mm
• Length 130 - 200cm
• Weight 35 - 42kg

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Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades Rockets
Al-Aqsa Rocket

• First Appearance Nov. 30, 2004
• Range 5-7km
• Explosives in warhead 3 - 4kg
• Diameter 90 - 115mm

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Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades Rockets
Al-Yasser Rocket (In Development)

• Range 15km (claimed)

Al-Jazeera, November 6, 2007
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Popular Resistance Committees
Nasser

• Popular Resistance Committees Nasser
• Range 6 - 9km
• Explosives in warhead 9 -10kg
• Diameter 90-115mm
• Length 125-180cm
• Weight 25 40kg

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Katyushas

• Palestinian terrorist organizations have obtained
  and fired a number of Grad (Katyusha) rockets
• They have also attempted to manufacture their own
  Grad rockets9
• Range 20km (13 miles)
• Explosives in warhead 18kg (39.6lbs)
• Diameter 122mm
• Length 280cm (9 feet)
• Weight 62-66kg (136.4 145lbs)

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Palestinian-Manufactured Mortar Bombs
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Mortars

• Range 1 - 4km
• Diameter 80 - 250mm
• Weight 3 - 25kg
• Explosives in warhead 1kg - 2kg

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Quotes from Terrorist Leaders on Qassams

• Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas leader and former
  Palestinian Prime Minister - Aug. 2005
• The Qassam rockets is what forced the
  enemy out. This is a victory for the resistance
  and for all of the Palestinian people.11
• Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri - May 20, 2007
• The Palestinian resistance, especially
  Hamas and its armed wing Izzedin al-Qassam, will
  keep up launching homemade shells on the Israeli
  settlements and communities.12
• Abu Ahmed, Palestinian Islamic Jihad Spokesman, -
  Sept. 4, 2007
• The rockets have become accurate, they
  hardly miss, and most important they manage to
  disrupt the Israelis livesWe definitely planned
  to increase the rocket fire when the school year
  opened.13
• Abu Ahmed - May 21, 2007
• The Zionist attack will not stop rocket
  fire against Zionist towns.14 

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Map of Towns and Communities Hit by Qassam and
Mortar Fire
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Damage Caused by Qassams and Mortars
Courtesy of Haaretz (Limor Edrey)
Courtesy of Reuters
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Endnotes

• IDF Spokesmans Unit, Dec. 31, 2007
• IDF Spokesmans Unit, Nov. 30, 2007
• IDF Spokesmans Unit, Dec. 31, 2007
• Micky Rosenfeld, Israel Police Spokesman, Jan. 1,
  2008
• Micky Rosenfeld, Israel Police Spokesman, Jan. 1,
  2008
• Dr. Berger, Rony and Dr. Gelkopf, Marc in
  cooperation with Dr. Tzemach, Mina Director of
  Dachaf Public Opinion Research Institute, The
  Impact of the Ongoing Traumatic Stress Conditions
  on Sderot Research Survey - Initial Findings and
  Recommendations October 2007, Natal Israel
  Trauma Center for Victims of Terror and War and
  Situation Report Gaza, June 1, 2007, United
  Nations Office for the Coordination of
  Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), http//domino.un.org/
  UNISPAL.NSF/db942872b9eae454852560f6005a76fb/29675
  fb5ff97c3e3852572ed0064f30e!OpenDocument
• Ibid.
• Stoil, Rebecca Anna, Toddler hurt after Kassam
  hits home, The Jerusalem Post, Dec. 16, 2007,
  http//www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cJPArticle
  cid1196847352499pagenameJPost2FJPArticle2FSh
  owFull
• Rocket threat from the Gaza Strip, 2000-2007,
  Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at
  the Israel Intelligence Heritage Commemoration
  Center (IICC), December 2007, http//www.terrorism
  -info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/r
  ocket_threat_e.htm
• Hussain, Aiza, Quotes from Hamas leaders on
  Hamas, Israel, and Palestinian politics,
  Foundation for Middle East Peace, Jan. 19, 2006,
  http//tinyurl.com/2tg2lf
• Almeghari, Rami, Hamas to continue homemade
  shells fire despite Israeli threats,
  International Middle East Media Center and
  Agencies, May 20, 2007, http//www.imemc.org/artic
  le/48500
• Waked, Ali Al-Quds Brigades Sderot strike
  strengthens us, YnetNews, Sept. 4, 2007,
  http//www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3445458,
  00.html
• Issacharoff, Avi, and Harel, Amos, Haniyeh vows
  Hamas will fight until 'victory or martyrdom,'
  Haaretz, May 21,2007, http//www.haaretz.com/hasen
  /spages/861661.html

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