Collective Punishment:
 

Lethal instruments of terror

Palestinian terrorists have launched about a thousand homemade Qassam (or Kassam) rockets at Sderot and other towns and Kibbutzim around Gaza since 2001. In June 2006 alone, about 89 rockets fell in the western Negev. The rockets keep getting larger and more lethal. The current version has a range of 10 km and carries a payload of 10 KG of explosives. Qassam development has gone through several phases, as the initially almost harmless devices developed into lethal weapons. On June 29, 2006, a Qassam that was apparently a new model landed in the city of Ashdod. Remains of a dud two engine or two-stage rocket were found.

Qassam rockets are named after the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, a Syrian Islamist agitator of the 1930s whose death in a battle with the British touched off the Arab Revolt (The Great Uprising) in Palestine.  According to the Hamas, the Qassam rocket was first developed by Nidal Fat'hi Rabah Farahat and produced under the direction of Adnan al-Ghoul, known as the "Father of the Qassam," who was killed by the Israeli army in October 2004.

Qassams were first fired at Israel beginning in October 2001. However, all landed inside the Gaza Strip. The first Qassam to land in Israeli territory was launched on February 10, 2002. The first time an Israeli city was hit was on March 5, 2002, when two rockets struck Sderot.

Over a thousand rockets had been launched by the end of June 2006. As Hamas gained power in Gaza, large numbers of rockets began landing in the Western Negev in March of 2006: 49 in March, 64 in April, 46 in May, and about 90 by the end of June.

Three models of Qassam are known (not including the new two engine model). The rocket has a lcylindrical body containing the engine with a small war head with conical detonator. At the rear there is an ejection nuzzle and four small stabilizing fins. The middle part of the rocket contains the engine; the front part is the warhead and detonator. The rocket casing is made of iron with a width of 2.5-3 millimeters.

Qassam II rocket

Groups other than Hamas have lesser numbers of home made rockets such as the Al Quds and Al Quds 101 of Islamic Jihad, and the Al-Nasser rocket of the Popular Resistance Committees. Palestinians have fired at least one Katyusha rocket into Israel and claim that they have a quantity of Grad rockets.

Main Page - Collective Punishment: The Qassam Victims of Sderot

Qassam Rocket Technical Data Summary and History

Qassam Rocket Statistics - 2006

Qassam Rocket Statistics Summary to January 2008

Qassam Rocket Statistics to January 2008

If these were your children, what would you expect your government to do???

Decent people demand justice for Sderot!

ZioNation - Zionism-Israel Web Log    Zionism & Israel News  Israel: like this, as if History of Zionism Zionism FAQ Zionism Israel Center Maps of Israel Jew Zionism and its Impact Israel Christian Zionism Site Map