Qassam rocket
The Qassam rocket (Arabic: صاروخ القسام Ṣārūkh al-Qassām; also Kassam) is a simple, steel artillery rocket developed and deployed by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas. These rockets cannot be fired to target specific military objectives in or near civilian areas, and are "indiscriminate when used against targets in population centers".
| Qassam | |
|---|---|
Eight Qassam launchers, seven equipped with operating systems and one armed and ready to launch. | |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Palestinian militants |
| Wars | Gaza–Israel conflict |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades |
| Designed | 2001 |
| Manufacturer | Palestinian militants |
| Produced | 2001–current |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Qassam 1: 35 kg; Qassam 2: 40 kg; Qassam 3: 50 kg; Qassam 4: 40–50 kg |
| Length | Qassam 1: 180 cm; Qassam 2: 180 cm; Qassam 3: 220 cm; Qassam 4: 244 cm |
| Diameter | Qassam 1: 11.5 cm; Qassam 2: 11.5 cm; Qassam 3: 11.5 cm; Qassam 4: 11.5 cm |
| Warhead | Explosive material with metal bearing balls; standard explosive material |
| Warhead weight | Qassam 1: 5 kg; Qassam 2: 10 kg; Qassam 3: 20 kg; Qassam 4:~10 kg |
| Propellant | Solid fuel (sugar and potassium nitrate mix) |
Operational range | Qassam 1: 5 km; Qassam 2:12 km; Qassam 3: 16 km |
Since the rocket was first manufactured in 2001 by Tito Masoud and Nidal Farhat, three models of the Qassam rocket have been produced and used. More generally, all types of Palestinian rockets fired into southern Israel, for example the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Al Quds rockets, are called Qassams by the Israeli media, and often by foreign media.
Leading international human rights organizations have called Palestinian armed groups' use of Qassam rockets against civilian and civilian targets a war crime and a violation of international law.
Many of the rocket's components are made of common materials such as sugar, fertilizer, firearms cartridges, springs, nails, and steel cylinders.