Rockets as a Weapon of Terrorism against Israel

تنسيق-الكليات-لعام سكس نيك كس

Since Israel gave up all of Gaza in 2005 – relinquishing homes, farms, places of business and worship – terrorists have launched more than ten thousand missiles, rockets and mortars have been launched against the southern part of our country in the last few years. During the Second Lebanon War a few years ago, thousands more were aimed at our northern region.

These rockets are weapons meant to terrorize. They are not accurate, not guided. They are launched with the intention to cause great fear and, if the winds are kind to those who launch them, damage, murder and mayhem as well. Israel has been dealing with this problem for years. We have withstood rocket attack after rocket attack. We have buried our sons and daughters, our grandfathers, our babies.

Shrapnel from a rocket riddled a Children Crossing Sign near a School

Rocket Range Map (Hat tip Muqata)

(click the image to make it full size)

Interactive Rocket Range Maps from MESI.org.uk
Gaza Rocket Range

Rocket Threat to Central Israel

By mid-day Wednesday (Dec. 31, 2008) the Hamas fired more than 50 rockets at Israeli cities and settlements wounding five people. Some of these rockets reached as far as Beer Sheba, almost 40 km from the Gaza border. The Palestinians have already reached this range when the towns of Ashdod and Yavneh were attacked two days ago, killing one person and wounding several others. According to the Deputy Commander of Israel's Home Front Command, Brig. General Abraham Ben David, these attacks represent a new dimension for the enemy's capability but are probably at the limit of the Palestian rockets.

IDF Targets a Kassam Launch Site
Watch as some of the ordnance cooks off and launches after the initial impact.



Previously Hamas relied on the 'homemade' Qasam or Iranian produced Grad rockets, enhanced at the Hamas workshops. These rockets could reach 11-12 miles into the Israeli area. Today, Israel officially confirmed today that the rocket recently fired against Beer Sheba were not Qasam or standard Grads rockets that were already familiar to the Israelis, but standard 122mm produced by China. Iran is also producing 122mm rockets, but the types produced by Iran are not capable of reaching a range of 30-40km (about 19 – 25 miles).



The Chinese rockets referred to by General Ben-David, are most likely rockets of the 122mm version of the WeiShi family of rocket, ( WS-1E) developed and produced by the Sichuan Aerospace Industry Corporation (SCAIC) also known as Base 062. According to Sinodefence website, these rockets didn't enter production, yet apparently, some reached Hamas and exploded in Beer Sheba. WS-1E was developed for the Type 90 truck mounted multiple rocket launchers. Several versions of different calibers of the WeiShi artillery rocket systems are employed by the People's Republic of China Army and were widely exported to third world countries.



The WS-1E rocket measures about 2.9 meters (depending on type and range) and weighs 61-74 kg. Uunlike the ubiquitous Grad, these Chinese rockets are using both fin and spin stabilization to achieve high accuracy and low dispersion of multiple rockets groups. Unlike the Grad which uses a fixed amount of propellant and warhead, designed for maximum range of 20 km, the Chinese rocket uses a modular design, where some of the payload can be exchanged for propellant.

Hamas Video with lots of Kassam Rocket footage

The two versions of this rocket are the 20km and 40km. Both types use a single chamber FG-42/43 solid rocket propellant uses an advanced hydroxy-terminated polybutadine (HTPB) composition. The rocket's payload consists of a modular warhead weighing 18-22kg in the standard version (20-40km version) or 26-28kg in the short range version (10-12kg). The standard high explosive (RDX-based) warhead can be enhanced with the ZDB-2 blast fragmentation warhead, comprising high explosive charge, containing reduced RDX-based explosive charge, over 4,000 steel ball matrix liner and prefabricated fragmentation sheath, extending lethal effect over a radius of about 100 meters. A thermobaric warhead is also available, comprising of a 17kg warhead containing 6.2 kg of energetic composition and 1,500 steel balls for dual-purpose effect optimized for urban warfare, and the SZB-1 anti-personnel and anti-armor mines containing submunitions for area denial attack.

Hamas Promotional Video

Kassam (also spelled Qassam)

The Qassam 1 has a diameter of 60 mm, carries a warhead weighing 1 lb (0.5 kg), and has a maximum range of only 2 miles (3 km). Early attacks using these rockets failed because they landed inside the Gaza Strip itself rather than upon their intended targets. The first Qassam strike to hit an Israeli town occurred on 5 March 2002 when two of the weapons hit Sderot just north of the Gaza Strip. The first fatalities caused by the rocket also occurred in Sderot on 28 June 2004 when two Israelis were killed.

The danger posed by Qassam attacks began to grow as improved versions were developed. The 150-mm Qassam 2 carries a warhead between 11 and 15 pounds (5 to 7 kg) over a distance of about 5 miles (8 km). The most advanced version seen so far is the Qassam 3 with a 170-mm body containing a 22-lb (10-kg) warhead and traveling as much as 6 miles (10 km). Attacks using the improved Qassam 3 have succeeded in reaching the central parts of Israel.

Gaza Terrorists Launching Rocket

Grad Rockets