Back القسام (صاروخ) Arabic Касам (ракета) Bulgarian Qassam Catalan Kassám (raketa) Czech Qassam-raket Danish Qassam-Rakete German Πύραυλος Κασσάμ Greek Kassam-raketo Esperanto Qassam Spanish راکت قسام Persian
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| 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[1] |
| Length | Qassam 1: 180 cm; Qassam 2: 180 cm; Qassam 3: 220 cm; Qassam 4: 244 cm[1] |
| Diameter | Qassam 1: 11.5 cm; Qassam 2: 11.5 cm; Qassam 3: 11.5 cm; Qassam 4: 11.5 cm[1] |
| Warhead | Explosive material with metal bearing balls;[2] standard explosive material[3] |
| 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 |
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".[4]
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.[5]
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.
- ^ a b c "What are Qassam Rockets?". Jewish Policy Center.org. Archived from the original on 14 April 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "רגעי האימה של ילדי שדרות בדרך לבית-ספר". nana10.co.il. 3 September 2007. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "שדרונט- הקסאם". sderonet.co.il. Archived from the original on 4 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ "Gaza: Palestinian Rockets Unlawfully Targeted Israeli Civilians". hrw.org/news/. Human Rights Watch. 24 December 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ Rocket threat from the Gaza Strip, 2000–2007 (PDF). Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (Report). Israel Intelligence Heritage and Commemoration Center. December 2007. p. 33. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 June 2010. Retrieved 5 June 2010.