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The Qassam rocket is a simple steel rocket filled with explosives, developed by the Palestinian organization Hamas. Three models have been used. All three models lack a guidance system. Qassam rockets are named after the Izz ad-din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. The Qassam rocket is attributed to Adnan al-Ghoul , known as the "Father of the Qassam," who was killed by the Israeli military in October 2004.[1]The rockets have been used to attack various civillian Israeli towns. In some areas, such as Sderot in the Negev and some Israeli settlements in Gaza, shelling occurs almost daily. However, they rarely cause any injuries, and they did not kill an Israeli until June 28, 2004. 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 ( Israel being a very narrow strip of land). In August 2003, a Qassam traveled five miles from the Gaza Strip into Israel and landed near Ashkelon, the farthest a Qassam rocket has penetrated. Other Israeli communities in the Negev to have been hit by Qassam rockets include: Or HaNer, Nirim and Nahal Oz.
Despite the Qassam's meager characteristics as a rocket, its use shocked the Israeli military and public, who are used to the Palestinians lacking any method of long-range warfare. Hezbollah, in contrast, has long shelled Israel from LebanonAlternate uses: see Lebanon (disambiguation The Lebanese Republic or Lebanon is a country in Southwest Asia, bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It is considered to be one of the fifteen lands that comprise the so-called " Cradle of Humanity". Lebanon is bor using the KatyushaThe 82mm BM-8 and 132mm BM-13 Katyusha rocket launchers were built and fielded by the Soviet Union in World War II. The launcher got this unofficial, but immediately recognized in the Red Army, name from the title of a Russian wartime song, Katyusha about rocket, hitting cities as well as farms and military targets in the sparsely populated northern border zone.
So far, as of 2004, most of the launches are carried out by Hamas from the Gaza Strip town of Beit HanounBeit Hanoun (Arabic: ) is a Palestinian town of 35,000 people on the Gaza Strip. It is located on the north-east edge of the Gaza Strip, just 6 km away from Israeli town of Sderot. Palestinian Cities.. The Israeli communities most often targeted are Sderot and Kibbutz Saad .
Israel has tried to stop the development and manufacture of such rockets by extensive crackdowns on suspected militants, and by the destruction of facilities (such as metal shops) which could be, or actively are, used for their construction. It has also destroyed the family homes of many Palestinians it claims have been involved in the smuggling or firing of rockets.
On September 29, 2004, a Qassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit the southern Israeli town of Sderot, killing two Israeli children. It was the second fatal Qassam rocket attack. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.
On October 3, 2004, Mahadi Mushtaha, a senior member of the Qassam production and development team in the Gaza Strip was killed by an Israeli targeted assassination. Mushtaha, a resident of the Jabalia refugee camp, was alleged to have been the manager of workshops and labs producing components of the Qassam rockets. [2]
Qassam Rocket Models
| | Qassam 3 | Qassam 2 | Qassam 1
|
| Length (cm)
| 200+ | 180 | 79
|
| Diameter (mm)
| 170 | 150 | 60
|
| Weight (kg)
| 90 | 32 | 5.5
|
| Explosives Payload (kg)
| 10 | 5-7 | 0.5
|
| Maximum Range (km)
| 10 | 8-10 | 3
|
