After the failure of the Camp David negotiations between Ehud Barak and late President Yasser Arafat in 2000, the road was paved for a new Intifada. Sharon’s provocative visit to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa was the spark that set the Second Intifada on fire. Unlike the 1987 Intifada, Al-Aqsa Intifada was distinguished for the diversity in the weapons and tools used against the Israeli occupation. It was then when the Palestinian resistance fired the first rocket at the occupied Palestinian lands hence marking the beginning of a new era in the conflict between the rightful owners of the land and the Israeli occupation.
Al-Qassam Rockets
After several attempts, Al-Qassam Brigades fired in June, 2001, the first rocket that reached 1.5km. Nedal Farahat and Tito Massoud were the first to think about manufacturing local rockets, and the first to fire them.
In September 2001, Al-Qassam Brigades announced firing ‘Qassam 1’ locally-manufactured rocket at the Israeli occupation. A 500g of TNT explosive was attached to the rocket, but it only reached less than 5km; almost reaching the outskirts of Sderot, north to the Gaza Strip. Although this rocket lacked aiming accuracy, it was the beginning of changing the rules of engagement with the enemy.
Following ‘Qassam 1’, ‘Qassam 2’ carried 5-6kg of TNT and reached about 8km; then, ‘Qassam 3’ carried 10kg of TNT, was 3m tall, and reached 10-12 km. In July 2006, Qassam 3 reached Ashkelon. ‘Qassam 4’ reached 18-20km.
Other Rockets
Other factions followed the footsteps of Al-Qassam and started manufacturing rockets as well. The Jihad’s military wing Al-Quds Brigades manufactured ‘Al-Quds Rocket’, Fatah manufactured ‘Al-Aqsa Rocket’, the Popular Front manufactured ‘Nasser Rocket’ and ‘Al-Sumud Rocket’, which reaches 7km.
Primitive But Powerful
The primitive nature of these Palestinian rockets that target the nearby settlements is a strength because they are hard to be detected by high-tech devices owned by the Israeli army.
From 2001 until 27/2/2008, about 14 settlers, 11 in Sderot, died due to the Palestinian resistance’ rockets according to Israeli medical sources.
On February 22nd, 2008, the Israeli army’s radio revealed that Olmert was surprised to learn that the Iron Dome system, which cost about $200,000,000 and was intended to protect Sderot and other surrounding settlements, could not offer such protection from the Palestinian rockets.
20 Years Later
After the great advancement in the nature and launching method of the resistance’ rockets, the rockets are now more accurate and cause greater damage. At first, the Israeli occupation admitted slight injuries, but now admits major ones.
After 20 long years of risks, sacrifices, experiments, attempts to thwart its work, the resistance now has rockets whose range is unknown, and whose real destructive potentials are a mystery.