March 8, 2007:
Palestinian terrorists have been
firing homemade "Kassam" rockets into Israel since 2001. Israeli police
recently arrested a Palestinian scrap metal dealer who was finding pipes, in
Israel, suitable for rockets, and delivering them to workshops where the
Kassams are built in Gaza. Now the Palestinians will have to get their pipes
from Egypt, and Israel will be condemned for crippling the scrap metal sector
of the Palestinian economy.
The Hamas Palestinian terrorist organization
designed the first Kassam in late 2001. This was the Kassam I, and is a 60mm
weapon, about 31 inches long, weighing twelve pounds and carrying a one pound
explosive charge. Its range is about three kilometers, and it is unguided. You
aimed it and hoped for the best. In early 2002, Hamas began firing these at
Jewish settlements in Gaza, and into southern Israel as well. By 2003, larger
versions were built. There was the Kassam II, which weighed 70 pounds, is 150mm
in diameter and six feet long. It has a range of eight kilometers, and a 11-15
pound warhead. It wasn't until June, 2004, that one of these Kassam rockets
actually killed an Israeli. By then, about 200 Kassams had been fired into
southern Israel.
Later came the Kassam III, which is 6.7 feet long,
170mm in diameter, has a range of about ten kilometers, and a warhead of 22-44
pounds. This one weighs about 200 pounds. There are many variations in these
designs, and larger rockets have apparently been used as well.
By the end of 2005, over 400 Kassams had been fired
at Israeli targets. About a third of them were the short range Kassam Is, fired
at Israeli settlements in Gaza. The rest were larger Kassams fired into
southern Israel. To date, over a 800 Kassams have been fired. For every 30-40
Kassams fired, an Israeli is killed or wounded. For every 2-3 Kassams fired, a
Palestinian is killed or wounded by Israeli military operations against the
firing sites and workshops that build the rockets.
Iranian technical experts, and Iranian made rocket
components are now showing up. These are being smuggled in via tunnels crossing
under the border with Egypt. It is believed that Hamas wants Iranian assistance
in building rockets that can reach more densely populated areas of Israel. This
would take a rocket with a range of 20 kilometers or more. The Palestinians
have tried to smuggle in factory made rockets, but these are too large to
easily get through the tunnels. So the best option appears to build better
Kassams.