Qassam rocket

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The Qassam rocket (also Kassam) is a simple home-made steel rocket filled with explosives, produced by the Palestinian Hamas movement. Three models have been used. Although they are sometimes referred to as missiles, they are free-flight artillery rockets lacking any guidance system.

The Gaza Strip, from which all but one of the Qassams have been launched, is surrounded by a security barrier and is sometime free of Israeli soldiers. However, Qaasam rockets, were fired regulary, even prior to the withdrawl of Israeli settlements. Palestinian militants have had difficulty launching the rockets from outside Gaza. The Qassam is intended to travel over the barrier and strike Israeli targets outside the strip.

1 History of the Qassam
2 Casualties
3 Israel's Reaction
4 Qassam Rocket Specifications
- 4.1 Similar Rockets
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History of the Qassam

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

Qassams were first fired at Israeli civilian 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 BM-21 Gradrockets with a range of twenty-five kilometers (about 15 mi), 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.

[edit] Casualties

At least thirteen people have been killed and hundreds injured as a result of Qassam rocket fire at Israeli targets. See List of Qassam rocket attacks for details.

[edit] Israel's Reaction

Despite the Qassam's meager characteristics as a rocket, its use shocked the Israeli army and public, who were used to the Palestinians lacking any method of long-range military weaponry. Many civilian leaders and politicians even ridiculed the idea. [1] Hezbollah, in contrast, has long shelled Israel from Lebanon using Katyusha rockets, hitting cities as well as farms and military targets in the sparsely populated northern border zone.

Shimon Peres, claimed that Israel can afford to ignore Qassam fire [2]. "This hysteria over the Qassams must end," he told journalists at the Knesset. "We're just adding to the hysteria. What happened? Kiryat Shmona was shelled for years. What, there weren't missiles?" Right wing Israelis counter that Israel cannot permit militants to continually impinge its sovereignty and security with impunity.^{[citation needed]}

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 launched Qassama as well.

[edit] Protective Measures

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 twenty 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.<ref>http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/01E1EAB3-82F1-4D2F-A392-318BFD1EE23A.htm</ref>

Israel has tried to stop the development and manufacture of such rockets by extensive crackdowns on launchers, 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 2006, 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.

[edit] Israeli Naval Response

On March 29, 2006, Israeli Sea Corps (Israeli Navy) vessels shelled rocket launching sites in the Gaza Strip for the first time. The ISC 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. Israel has claimed the fire is very accurate and never aimed at populated areas, in order to prevent Palestinian civilian casualties.<ref>"Israel Navy joins war on Qassams" www.ynetnews.com </ref>

[edit] 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, could 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.<ref>http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-12/12/content_3908070.htm</ref> However, Israeli officials denied such a launch took place, saying the claim was either a lie or the rocket malfunctioned.<ref>http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=94621</ref> Three days later, on December 14, an Israeli operation in the West Bank town of Nablus uncovered explosive labs which were producing Qassam rockets.<ref>"Qassam found in West Bank raid by Israel" www.ynetnews.com </ref> In January 2006, however, Israel reported that a Qassam had indeed been launched from the West Bank.<ref name="0,7340,L-3193067,00">Shaked, Ronny, Amir Ben David. "Qassam fired from West Bank", Ynetnews, 2006-01-01. Retrieved on 2006-07-15.</ref>

On April 9, 2006, members of the elite Duvdevan Battalion, which specializes in undercover operations, 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.<ref>http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1143498825826&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull</ref>

On July 9, 2006, a Palestinian attack 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 failed completely.<ref>"Palestinians: We launched rocket from Jenin" www.ynetnews.com </ref>

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.<ref>"Failed attempt to fire improvised rocket to Israel" www.ynetnews.com </ref>

[edit] Katyusha Fears

On March 28, 2006, Islamic Jihad fired a 122mm (4.8") calibre Katyusha rocket (2.8 meters or 9 ft long, weighing 66 kilograms or about 150 lb) and carrying a 17-kilogram (38 lb) warhead; see BM-21), a much longer-range projectile than the Qassam, from the Gaza Strip into Israel.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4855056.stm</ref> Katyushas have never before been fired from the Palestinian controlled areas. It is believed that it was 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 Gaza 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.<ref>http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1143498764634&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull</ref>

The rocket 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.<ref>http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/699852.html</ref> It also raised fears that Gaza-based militant groups might have obtained additional weaponry, including anti-aircraft missiles.

[edit] Qassam Rocket Specifications

	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

[edit] 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", while they call most rockets fired from Lebanon "Katyushas".