in Israel]]
Template:Campaignbox Al aqsa

This is a list of notable and/or newsworthy Qassam rocket attacks, made from the Gaza strip and targeting Israel. These attacks commenced in April, 2001, though the first rocket to actually hit an Israeli city was on 5 March 2002, and the first Israeli fatality was 28 June 2004. Approximately 450 Qassam rockets were fired into Israel between 2003 and 2004.^[1] 7,500 rockets have hit Sderot from the period of 2001-2009.^[2]

Hamas leaders have characterized the attacks as self-defense and as responses to the ongoing occupation, which includes the Blockade of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank Occupation, and the existence of Israel on Islamic land.^[3][4] Hamas and Islamic Jihad have also carried out particular attacks as responses to assassinations of their leaders. Hamas has said that attacks from the Gaza Strip would temporarily end if Israel stopped military operations in the West Bank and Gaza and lifted its blockade.^[5] Israel states that if the rocket attacks stop, their military operations will also stop and that the crossings were closed in response to Hamas attacks (usually on the crossings). ^[6]

According to Human rights watch, the Qassam rocket attacks violate the international humanitarian law prohibitions against attacks that target civilians or are indiscriminate.^[3] According to Human rights watch, the groups that launch the rocket attacks from locations close to populated areas fail to protect civilians under their control against the consequences of the attacks, by deploying military targets near densely populated areas.^[3]

The first rocket strike was on April 16, 2001, the first time an Israeli city was hit was on March 5, 2002, when two rockets struck Sderot. Some rockets have hit as far as the edge of Ashkelon. From 2001 until December, 2008, there have been over 4048 rockets and 4040 mortars fired at Israeli targets,^[7][8] mainly against Sderot and the Western Negev. From 2001 when the missile attacks started until 27 April 2008, 13 Israelis were killed by Qassam rockets. Until today, fifteen Template:Fact Israelis have been killed and over 433 injured, along with significant property damage.

The Grad rocket has a 20.5 kilometer range. Qassam rockets have a range of 3 to 10 kilometers (2 to 6 mi). Most of Israel remains out of range. However, over time the range of the weapons used has increased. In the transition from Qassam 1 through to Qassam 3 the range went from 3 to 10 kilometers and the explosive payload went from 0.5 kilograms (1 lb) to 2 kilograms (4 lb), and this is expected to rise in the future. In October 2007 it was reported that members of the West Bank Palestinian al-Aqsa militia were using Google Earth to search for their targets.^[9] Mortars have a range of 1.7 to 6.0 kilometers (1.0 to 3.8 mi). The Palestinian Sariya-1 is a 240 mm mortar with a 15 kilometer range.^[10].

A radar system or "red dawn alarm", was installed by the Israeli government. Sderot had a system installed before September 2005.^[11] Ashkelon began installation in July 2005 and by April 2006 the system was completely installed.^[12] Red Color alerts Israelis to incoming rocket fire, but does not alert Israelis to mortar shelling. On cold or rainy days, the radar is ineffective in detecting the rocket launches. Sderot residents have 15 seconds, once the siren goes off, to escape to a bomb shelter. In 2005, Israel started a program to fortify homes and public buildings within range of Gaza missiles. This program was expanded in 2008, the cost estimates are over one billion shekels. An Iron Dome anti-rocket system is under development by Rafael. It is expected to be operational by 2011.^[12]

The attacks have resulted in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in both children and adults, with an estimated 33% of children living in Sderot suffering from PTSD.^[13][14]

Timeline of attacks

2001

April 16, 2001

The first rocket fell on Israel on 16 April 2001^[15]

2002

February 10, 2002

A Qassam 2 rocket was fired from Gaza into Israel on Sunday, landing in a field six kilometers from the Gaza border near Kibbutz Sa'ad in the Negev Desert. Israel views the use of the Qassam 2 rockets as a major escalation in fighting, since the missiles have a range of six to ten kilometers - sufficient to hit Israeli cities if fired from the West Bank. Israel responded with air force attacks and an armored incursion. Seventeen militant prisoners were released from Gaza jail as a result. No deaths were reported.^[16][17]

2003

2004

May 18, 2004

Operation Rainbow began on May 18, 2004 and ended on May 23, 2004 in Rafah the Gaza Strip. Israel's aims were to kill Palestinian forces in heavily overpopulated Gaza after the deaths of 13 Israeli armed combatants in Palestinian attacks, to clear Palestinian military infrastructure, and to find smuggling tunnels connecting the Gaza Strip to Egypt. The Israeli army claim responsibility for the deaths of 53 Palestinians who had been killed including just under a quarter of them admitted to be ordinary civilians, along with 56 buildings destroyed.

June 28, 2004

Four-year-old Afik Zahavi, and Mordehai Yosefof, 49, were killed in the northern Negev town of Sderot by a Palestinian Qassam rocket, the first fatal Qassam attack. The boy's mother, Ruthie Zahavi, 28, was critically wounded. A total of nine persons were injured. Hamas claimed responsibility. ^[18]

September 24, 2004

Settler Tiferet Tratner, 24, of Neve Dekalim, was killed in her home by a mortar (weapon) attack on the Gush Katif settlement bloc built in Gaza^[19]

September 29, 2004

On the eve of the Sukkot holiday, Yuval Abebeh, 4, and Dorit Benisian, 2, were killed by a Qassam rocket (one of three) fired from Gaza into Sderot. About 30 people were wounded in the attack, for which Hamas claimed responsibility.

In response, the Israeli army launched Operation Days of Penitence in the north of the Gaza Strip in which 133 Palestinians were killed; 30% of them civilians. The Israeli army claims responsibility for these attacks on Palestinian civilians and others. On the Israeli side five people were killed (including three civilians).

October 22, 2004

The Israeli Air Force killed Adnan al-Ghoul, a senior Hamas member.

October 28, 2004

Israeli army Sgt. Michael Chizik, 21, of Tiberias, was killed when a mortar shell landed in the Morag settler outpost in Gush Katif built in Gaza.^[19]

November 11, 2004

Yassar Arafat dies in France.

2005

January 5, 2005

Nissim Arbiv, 26, of Nissanit, was severely injured by a mortar shell in the Erez industrial zone. He died from his injuries ten days later.^[19]

January 15, 2005

A Qassam rocket attack on Sderot left Ayala Abukasis, 17, brain dead. She died on January 21.

February 2005

Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas ordered Palestinian police to deploy in the northern Gaza Strip to prevent Qassam rocket and mortar from shelling Israeli settlements. ; February 8, 2005

On February 8, 2005, at the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit of 2005, Ariel Sharon and Mahmoud Abbas declared a mutual truce between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority. They shook hands at a four-way summit which also included Jordan and Egypt at Sharm al-Sheikh. However, Hamas and Islamic Jihad said the truce is not binding for their members.^[20]

February 9, 2005

On February 9-February 10 night, a barrage of 25 to 50 Qassam rockets and mortar shells hit Neve Dekalim settlement, and another barrage hit at noon. Hamas said it was in retaliation for an attack in which one Palestinian was killed near an Israeli settlement.^[21] As a response to the mortar attack, Abbas ordered the Palestinian security forces to stop such attacks in the future. He also fired senior commanders in the Palestinian security apparatus.

February 13, 2005

On February 13, 2005, Abbas entered into talks with the leaders of the Islamic Jihad and the Hamas, for them to rally behind him and respect the truce. Ismail Haniyah, a senior leader of the group Hamas said that "its position regarding calm will continue unchanged and Israel will bear responsibility for any new violation or aggression".

June 7, 2005

Two Palestinian workers, Salah Ayash Imran, 57, Muhammed Mahmoud Jaroun, and a foreign worker Bi Shude, 46, were killed, and five other workers were wounded, when a Qassam rocket hit a packing shed in Ganei Tal, in the Gaza Strip. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.^[22]

July 14, 2005

Dana Galkowicz, 22, was killed in a Qassam attack in the Kibbutz Netiv Ha'asara, just north of the Gaza Strip. One rocket of those fired cut her life short. Hamas, Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine and Fatah all claimed responsibility for the attack.^[23]

July 15, 2005

On July 15 Israel resumed its "targeted killing" policy, killing seven Hamas militants and bombing about four Hamas facilities. The continuation of shelling rockets over Israeli settlements, and street battles between Hamas militants and Palestinian policemen, threatened to shatter the truce agreed in the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit of 2005.

September 12, 2005

Evacuation of all Israeli residents and associated security personnel from the Gaza Strip was completed by September 12, 2005 under Israel's unilateral disengagement plan

September 24, 2005

Five Israelis were injured when Palestinian militants launched about 30 rockets on Israeli communities from the Gaza Strip. This attack followed an incident the previous day, in which 20 Palestinians, including 16 civilians, were killed when a vehicle carrying Qassam rockets exploded during a Hamas rally in Jabalya. The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are still unknown. To date, no evidence has been found to substantiate Hamas’ claim that Israeli interference was responsible for the accident.^[24]

December 14, 2005

Jitladda Tap-arsa, 20, a female Thai national, was killed by a mortar while working in a greenhouse in the Gush Katif settlement of Ganei Tal.^[19]

December 26, 2005

A Qassam rocket landed near a kindergarten during a Hanukkah party at kibbutz Sa'ad.^[25]

2006

February 3, 2006

A Qassam rocket struck a family's house in the western Negev village of Karmia, moderately injuring four people, including a 7-month-old baby.^[26]

March 28, 2006

Islamic Jihad fired a 122 mm Katyusha rocket from the Gaza Strip into Israel.^[27] Near the Kibbutz Nachal Oz two Israeli-Arabs (Salam Ziadin and Khalid, 16, a Bedouin father and son) are killed when a dormant Qassam rocket they find in the Nahal Oz area explodes. Katyushas, frequently used by Hezbollah in Lebanon, had never before been fired from Gaza. Larger numbers of Qassam rockets began landing in the Western Negev in March 2006: 49 in March, 64 in April, 46 in May, and over 83 by the end of June. Most of the rocket launches prior to 2006 were carried out by Islamic Jihad but following Hamas's election victory, other groups such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement have been claimed to take over the firings.

March 30, 2006

Two Qassam rockets landed in kibbutz Karmia, south of Ashkelon, one of them in a football field, where children played only hours earlier, and injured one person.^[28]

June 11, 2006

Three people are wounded, one critically when a Qassam landed near the Sapir Academic College near the Negev town of Sderot.^[29] 14 Qassams are fired throughout the day.^[30]

July 27, 2006

A Qassam rocket landed next to a kindergarten in a community south of Ashkelon at 10:45 a.m. Friday. Two children were lightly wounded and eight more people suffered shock. Additionally, the kindergarten building was damaged.^[31]

September 20, 2006

Two teenage Israeli Arab shepherds were moderately wounded by two Qassam rockets fired from Gaza.^[32]

July 12, 2006 to August 14, 2006

2006 Lebanon War occurred as a result of a Hezbollah cross-border raid into Israel; it was a 33-day military conflict in Lebanon and northern Israel. The principal parties were Hezbollah paramilitary forces and the Israeli Defense Force. Hezbollah fired between 3,970 and 4,228 rockets. About 95% of these were 122 mm (4.8 in) Katyusha artillery rockets, which carried warheads up to 30 kg (66 lb) and had a range of up to 30 km (19 mi).^[33][34] An estimated 23% of these rockets hit built-up areas, primarily civilian in nature.^[35] An estimated 1,123 Lebanese died, along with 119 IDF soldiers and 43 Israeli civilians.

November 1 to November 7, 2006

Palestinian government officials said on November 7 that IDF troops were beginning to withdraw, thus ending the Operation Autumn Clouds. Fifty-three Palestinians, including 16 civilians, and an IDF soldier, were killed since October 31.^[36]

November 8, 2006

18 people were killed (mainly civilians) and around 40 were injured as a large number of shells was fired at Beit Hanoun. IDF officials said that the artillery fire was directed at a Qassam launching spot and another nearby spot from where Palestinians planned to launch Qassam rockets. Some of the shells missed their target.^[37] This incident is now referred to as the Beit Hanoun November 2006 incident.

November 15,2006

Twelve rockets in four separate attacks hit Sderot, killing Faina Slutzker, 57, and seriously wounding two others. One of the wounded, Maor Peretz, a security guard, lost both legs in the attack.^[38]

November 21,2006

A Qassam rocket struck a factory and hit 43 year-old Yaakov Yaakobov, fatally wounding him.^[39]

2007

March 18, 2007

al-Quds Brigades Palestinians fire five Qassam rockets from the Gaza Strip to Israel in three different barrages after a relative period of calm. One of the rockets landed in Ashkelon's southern industrial zone, near a strategic facility. The rest of the rockets landed south of Ashkelon and in open areas in the western Negev. There were no reports of injuries.^[40]

May 15, 2007

After more than 200 Qassam rocket attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz respond with airstrikes.

May 16, 2007

The Israeli Air Force attack a building housing the Hamas headquarters of the Executive Force in Rafah, leaving four dead and dozens wounded. The airstrike came in the middle of heavy fighting between forces loyal to Fatah and to Hamas, part of the ongoing Palestinian factional violence. Thirty Qassam rockets are fired at the Western Negev, leaving two residents of Sderot injured. Ten others suffered from shock.^[41][42][43]

May 17, 2007

Two people die in Rafah after their vehicle was hit by a missile fired by the IAF. The two had reportedly been in the process of launching Qassam rockets. More vehicles were hit by the IAF, leaving a member of a Qassam launching cell critically injured.

A Hamas base of operations is destroyed by Israeli missile attacks, leaving one militant dead and wounding more than thirty people, including civilians. Two people in Sderot were slightly injured by one of the ten rockets that landed on Israeli territory.^[44]

May 18, 2007

In a Qassam rocket attack on Sderot three people were injured. Twenty rockets were fired at a kibbutz in Sderot.^[45]

May 20, 2007

Ten rockets are fired from Gaza with four landing in southern Israel, but no injuries are reported, according to an Israeli spokesman. The IAF also launched an airstrike in Gaza City, killing eight people, including Hamas militiamen, and at least thirteen others were also wounded. Israel claims that five of those killed were militiamen, while Hamas claims that only two were. The airstrike was targeted at the house of Hamas politician, Khalil al-Haya, who was not home at the time.

A second Israeli air strike kills one civilian, and wounds three others, according to Palestinian medics. A spokeswoman for Israel claims that the strike was targeting militants loading ammunition onto a truck at a location that manufactures rockets. A third air strike targeted a plant that manufactured Qassam rockets for the Islamic Jihad group, which wounded two people according to medics.

Olmert said that he will attempt a diplomatic effort with the international community to attempt to resolve the conflict. However, he has also ordered an increase in airstrikes to destroy Hamas' infrastructure, in an attempt to halt the rocket attacks.^[46][47]

May 21, 2007

Shir-El Feldman, 32, was killed and two others wounded in a Qassam rocket strike on Sderot.^[48]

Four members of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine are killed while driving in a car after an air strike by the IAF in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya. They were part of a Qassam launching cell and had just launched some Qassam rockets into Israeli territory. An Israeli spokesman also said that Islamic Jihad members will be targeted because they participate in the Qassam firing. A workshop used in the manufacture of Qassam rockets was bombed, killing a manufacturer.

A first round of five rockets were fired towards Sderot, one striking the city, two landing south of Ashkelon, and two striking the western Negev. A Qassam rocket that struck Sderot killed an Israeli woman, the first fatality from a rocket attack in the country since November. Another man was moderately injured from the attack. The rocket struck a commercial center near a bakery in Sderot. Israeli civilians burned tires in the street after the attack, though the protest was interrupted by the Red Dawn rocket early-warning siren.

A second round of three rockets was later fired towards Israel, which landed near a kibbutz in the western Negev. A third series launched two more rockets towards Israel. No injuries were reported from these further attacks.^[49][50][51]

May 22, 2007

Hamas militants say that they have fired several rockets towards Israel, a total of ten, according to various groups. A total of seven rockets landed in western Negev, but caused no injuries. The IAF also fired missiles in an airstrike at a munitions base, and secondary explosions were reported after the strike. The airstrike wounded seven people in the attack on Jabaliya, Gaza City, according to local residents and hospital officials.^[52][53][54]

May 23, 2007

Militants fired eight rockets at southern Israel, but no injuries were reported. One rocket that was fired, landed in an open area of Sderot. No injuries or damage were reported from the rocket landing. Later, two rockets hit the Sderot area, one of them inside the city. One women suffered from shock after the attack. Two more rockets landed south of Ashkelon, one of which killed a horse in Kibbutz Nir Am.

The IAF conducted an airstrike on the Gaza Strip, in which they destroyed two buildings. The Israeli army said that the buildings were being used to store and manufacture weapons, however, Palestinians denied these allegations. Hospital officials said that seven Palestinians were wounded in the attack. Two IDF soldiers were wounded by gunfire in the northern Gaza Strip and were evacuated to the Barzilay Medical Center in Ashkelon. The gunfire may have came from militants, but the IDF is looking into the possibility of friendly-fire.

In an uncommon move, Israeli troops entered into a small village in the southern Gaza Strip. Israeli army officials said that after the raid, seven Palestinians were held for questioning. Samer Qdaih, one of those held, claimed that the troops threatened to crush their area if rocket fire continues. All of the detainees were later released.Template:Fact

President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas had called for Hamas and other militias to halt rocket attacks against Israel. But a Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, said that due to Israel's airstrikes on Gaza, that any ceasefire attempt by Abbas would be "worthless." Hamas said they would only consider a ceasefire if Israel stops their military operations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.^[52][55]

A total of nine Qassam rocket were fired from Gaza, by Palestinians, towards the Israeli western Negev. Two of the rockets landed near kibbutzim in the area of Eshkol Regional Council, and the rest landed near Sderot and the area of Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council. After one of the rockets landed, a fire broke out close to one of the kibbutzim. Some of these rockets landed in Israel without warning, due to a malfunction in the Red Dawn system that notifies of incoming rocket fire.

May 24, 2007

In the northern Gaza Strip, a mortar was fired towards Israel. The mortar round landed near the Erez Crossing. No injuries were reported, but the structure was somewhat damaged.

Palestinian President Abbas, after meeting with a European Union envoy, described rocket attacks against Israel as "pointless and needless". However, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri responded saying that "Rockets will be fired as long as the Zionist (Israeli) aggression against our (Palestinian) people continues."^{[56][57][58][59]}

May 25, 2007

Seven Qassam rockets were fired towards Israel's western Negev from the Gaza Strip. The first five Qassams landed in open areas close to the southern town of Sderot and south of Ashkelon. No casualties were reported from these, though a wheat field near Sderot caught fire due to a Qassam landing.^[60] Two rockets were later fired towards the Israeli town of Sderot. One of them landed near a house inside the town. This Qassam lightly wounded four people from shrapnel, and ten other nearby residents suffered from shock. The other rocket landed in Sderot's industrial area, damaging some equipment in a facility.^[61]

An Israeli missile landed near the residence of Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas. An IDF spokeswoman said that "Haniyeh's home definitely was not the target [of the airstrike]." The IDF said that the airstrike was on a structure used by Hamas, located in the Shati refugee camp. Local residents said that an IAF airstrike hit a van in Gaza City, killing two Hamas militants and wounding five. The IAF also conducted an air strike on a Hamas position in the central Gaza Strip, south of Gaza City, lightly wounding three, and destroying the base.^[62][63][64]

May 26, 2007

Hamas militants considered the lenient ceasefire terms offered by Fatah, specifically Palestinian President Abbas. They said they would be willing to accept a ceasefire alone, instead of their previous demand of the end of Israeli military operations in the West Bank. Fatah said that Hamas is giving Israel until May 27 to respond to a ceasefire agreement, though Hamas said they are not completely committed to their offer. A Fatah spokesman, Abdel-Hakim Awad, said that "The next 48 hours will be decisive for determining which way the factions are going, and it will depend on Israel and whether it wants to stop its aggression."

Five Qassam rockets were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip, though no people were injured.

Five airstrikes early in the day wounded three people, all bystanders near the targets; at least two were in Gaza City and one in the southern Gaza Strip, all Hamas positions. The IAF launched missile attacks on a Hamas Executive Force and its armed militia housing in Gaza City. At least five Executive Force members were killed and 30 other people were wounded, according to medics .^[65] The explosion also damaged a kindergarten area next-door, though no people were wounded.^[65] A security facility near Palestinian Prime Minister Haniyeh's home was also attacked in an airstrike. Another round of airstrikes in Gaza targeted buildings used by Hamas, wounding eight bystanders.

The Palestinian Minister of State, Wasfi Kabha of Hamas, was arrested in an Israeli raid on his village close to the West Bank city of Jenin. An aide to the Palestinian President Abbas, Saeb Erekat, said that "We have urged the U.S. and the EU to intervene to release the ministers and lawmakers [...] This step does not help to achieve calm (attempts at a ceasefire)."

A spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed militia of Hamas warned that if Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh or any other senior Hamas official was harmed by Israel that there would be a "earth-shattering" response. This response included a threat that Israel will never see Gilad Shalit, the IDF soldier whose abduction sparked the 2006 Israel-Gaza conflict, and that "Suicide bombings in Israel are just a matter of time and proper condition…we can fire rockets even beyond Ashkelon, and we will resume the suicide bombing and kidnappings."^[66]

May 27, 2007

Two Qassam rockets landed in Sderot, Israel. Oshri Oz, 36, was killed when a Qassam rocket struck near his car and fatally wounded him.^[67] The Qassam hit the street, it caused shrapnel to hit Oshri Oz's car, and he crashed into a wall. He got out of the car, but died of his wounds at Barzilay Medical Center in Ashkelon. One other man was wounded and other residents suffered from shock. Another Qassam rocket later hit Sderot injuring one Israeli civilian.

The IAF launched airstrikes on posts belonging to Hamas in the Gaza Strip. One strike targeted a Hamas charity building in Beit Hanoun and the other a Hamas executive force position in Jabalya, according to Hamas officials and other witnesses. A third airstrike was reported in the city of Beit Lahiya. No casualties were reported from the strikes. ^[68][69]

May 28, 2007

Seven rockets struck Sderot in southern Israel, but no injuries are reported. A senior Hamas militant was arrested in the city of Ramallah in the West Bank.^[70]

May 29, 2007

Seventeen Qassams hit the Negev, three landed in Sderot. The Popular Resistance Committees and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility for the attacks. ^[71]

May 30, 2007

Six Qassam rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip hit western Negev. One rocket hit a power line and an apartment building in Sderot. Some residents experienced and were treated for shock after the attack. The Qassam also caused a temporary blackout in some parts of the city, because of the hit on the power line. Another apartment building was hit, causing six people to experience shock, though no people were inside at the time. The latter had a claim of responsibility by the militia of the Popular Resistance Committees.^[72]

The IAF made an air strike targeting a "group of armed terrorists", near the Jabalya refugee camp, an IDF spokeswoman said. Two members of the Hamas militia were killed, several bystanders were wounded, and a house was damaged

May 31, 2007

The IAF made two air strikes on a rocket launching site and on militants in the Gaza Strip, injuring two Palestinians. Militants in the Gaza Strip fired three Qassam rockets into Israel, but caused no injuries.^[73]

June 1, 2007

Four Qassam rockets were fired towards Israel from the Gaza Strip. Two of the rockets landed near a Negev kibbutz, causing some damage to a garage. Another rocket hit a kibbutz south of Ashkelon and caused serious damage to a warehouse. The fourth rocket landed in the Gaza Strip.^[74][75]

June 2, 2007

The IDF also arrested four people in the Gaza Strip, stating they fired rockets into Israel. They were later released.^[76]

June 3, 2007

Four IDF soldiers were injured, one moderately and three lightly, near the Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. They were hurt after three mortar rounds hit their location. Hamas claimed responsibility. The injured soldiers, and six who suffered shock, were evacuated to Barzilay Medical Center in Ashkelon. Two other mortar shells landed in other areas of the Gaza Strip.^[77]

June 5, 2007

The IDF pulled out of the Gaza Strip, after an offensive two kilometers inside the Israel-Gaza border. Several Palestinians were detained by the IDF and were transferred to Israel for questioning.^[78]

Two Qassam rockets were fired towards Israel from the Gaza Strip. One landed near Sderot and one landed inside the Gaza Strip, neither caused injuries.^[79]

June 6, 2007

Hamas fired eight mortar shells at the Erez Crossing, damaging the site, and causing a fire on the Gaza side of the border. Two Israeli trauma centers were opened in southern Israel near Gaza.^[80]

June 12, 2007

Hamas gained control over northern Gaza after fighting with Fatah Preventive Security Service forces in the city of Beit Hanoun. Four Palestinians were killed and 15 wounded. Hamas also took control of the central refugee camps, Bureij, Nuseirat and Maghazi with virtually no fighting with Fatah.^[81]

June 13, 2007

Hamas destroys Fatah Preventive Security Forces' headquarters in Khan Yunis, killing five Palestinians.

June 14, 2007

Hamas forces seize and loot Abbas' presidential compound and Fatah 'Preventive Security Forces' headquarters in Gaza City. Other major security and intelligence compounds are also captured, finalizing Hamas' control over Gaza City. To the south, Rafah falls into Hamas control with minimal casualties. After controlling the majority of the Gaza Strip's cities and refugee camps, Hamas takes control over the main north-south road as well as the coastal road and southern border with Egypt.

June 18, 2007

A Qassam rocket fired from Gaza struck a factory, containing hazardous materials, in Sderot. The attack resulted in a leak of gaseous caustic soda and prompted the response of police, fire-fighting forces, and teams specialized in dealing with hazardous materials who sealed the leak and removed the poisonous materials. ^[82]

June 20, 2007

Nine Qassam rockets struck the western Negev injuring three with shrapnel and causing shock in at least seven reported cases. In Sderot, rockets damaged two homes and a synagogue. Two of the rockets struck near Kibbutz Nir Am, injuring no one but causing a power outage in the area by damaging a high-tension wire. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for four of the rockets. ^[83]

July 5, 2007

Three mortars shells and two Qassam rockets were fired into Israel, causing no damage and injures. Hamas and Islamic Jihad both claimed responsibility.

July 7, 2007

In an IDF operation in Gaza, seven Qassam rocket launchers are noticed. All were destroyed by the IDF. Some were detonated with a timer

July 8, 2007

Five Qassam rockets struck the Western Negev with three striking near Sapir College. The attack did not result in any reported casualties and caused damage to a building undergoing construction. The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, claimed responsibility for the attack. ^[84]

July 8, 2007

Five Qassam rockets are fired into Israel. Four landed in open areas, but one landed near a college in Sderot. Nobody was injured. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.

July 9, 2007

Three Qassams are fired into Israel, causing damage but no injuries. Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility

July 10, 2007

11 mortar shells are fired into Israeli territory in three separate barrages. Two buildings contained damage, but there were no casualties. One mortar shell landed near the Kerem Shalom Crossing. Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.^[85]

July 12, 2007

Despite the presence of Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, Islamic Jihad managed to fire a Qassam rocket to Sderot. Nobody was injured.^[86][87]

July 19, 2007

Four Qassam rockets struck southern Israel, damaging several buildings and causing five people to suffer from shock - one of whom required hospitalization. ^[88][89]

July 22, 2007

Israeli aircraft killed two members of the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The airstrike was a retaliation for the Qassams fired on Saturday evening, which landed in the Negev, causing some damage. Islamic Jihad confirmed two of its militants were killed in the attack while launching rockets, carried out by a chopper.^[90]

July 26,2007

More than 10 mortar shells and Qassam rockets are fired at Israel this week, causing some damage and three injured.^[91]

August 1,2007

Four Qassam rockets fired into Israel, causing some damage.

August 4, 2007

Three Qassam rockets are fired at Sderot, injuring three people.^[92]

August 6, 2007

A rocket launched from northern Gaza landed in a kindergarten schoolyard in Sderot, moments after the completion of a Monday afternoon meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, took credit for the attack, which caused damaged to nearby buildings, including two other kindergartens and a public elementary school. The Red Color system was activated.^[93]

August 17, 2007

In a rocket barrage, three Qassams and 13 mortar shells are fired into Israel by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. No casualties or damage were reported.^[94]

August 20, 2007

Six Palestinians, all members of the armed wing of Hamas are killed when their vehicle was blown up by an Israeli missile. The Palestinians were driving back after they had fired some Qassams and mortar shells into Israeli territory.^[95]

August 21, 2007

Two Qassam rockets are fired into Israel, one hitting a kindergarten, injuring and shocking some people.

August 22, 2007

A Qassam rocket landed in Sderot late in the evening, causing no reported damage or casualties.^[96]

August 23, 2007

Eight Qassam rockets hit in the Negev. Two landing in Sderot caused minor injuries, anxiety, and damage to a house. ^[97][98]

August 27, 2007

A Qassam rocket is fired into Israeli territory. The launcher was destroyed minutes later by an Israeli missile.

August 28, 2007

A Sderot resident is moderately injured by shrapnel from a Qassam rocket which fell on his house in his bedroom. The rest of the family was hiding in the bomb shelter after the Color Red system was activated. The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack. Seven other Qassams are fired, causing only some damage and two people shocked.^[99]

August 29, 2007

Four Qassam rockets are fired into Israel.^[100]

August 30, 2007

Three Qassam rockets fired by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip struck open areas in the western Negev. There was no damage or injuries in either of the attacks.^[101]

September 3, 2007

Seven Qassam rockets hit in the Negev. One landed in the courtyard of a Sderot day-care center, damaging a building and causing shock to twelve people, including some infants. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.^[102]

September 10, 2007

Two Qassam rockets are fired at the Zikim Army Base in Israel near the Gazan Border from Beit Hanun. One of them lands safely in the Negev, but the other lands near unfortified barracks (Zikim military base) at the base where Israeli recruits were sleeping. This resulted in at least 66 wounded, with at least 10 moderately to seriously. 69 soldiers were wounded by the rocket, 60+ of them had only light-to moderate shrapnel wounds, but four of them were injured seriously. One of the four had to have his leg amputated, and another was in a critical condition. Both Islamic Jihad and PRC claimed responsibility. Despite Hamas' lack of direct responsibility, they called the act a Victory from God^[103][104]

In retaliation, Israeli choppers flew over the Strip, firing missiles at militant bases, wounding four Islamic Jihad members.^[105]. The attack harmed both male and female soldiers. Al-Quds Brigades and Islamic Jihad both claimed responsibility for the attacks. ^[106][107]

September 18, 2007

Four Qassams rained down on Israeli Gaza border communities. Nobody claimed responsibility.^[108]

September 19, 2007

Israel declared the Gaza Strip as an enemy entity, declaring that it would reduce its fuel and power supplies to the Hamas-run territory in response to continued rocket fire from Palestinian militants. The announcement coincides with a visit from United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.^[109]

September 26, 2007

Hours after militants launched more than 12 rockets and 20 mortar shells at Sderot, missiles hit a jeep as it crossed a crowded intersection in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, killing at least five members of the Army of Islam. The army said the jeep was carrying rockets ready for firing.

Palestinian security officials seized two homemade rockets, a possible sign that the attack techniques of Gaza militants are spreading. The projectiles, not yet fitted with explosives, were discovered in Bethlehem and handed over to the Israeli army.^[110].^[110]

September 27, 2007

A Qassam launching cell was spotted in the area while Hamas militants were preparing to fire another Qassam rocket. Soldiers opened fire and killed one of them, the rest were able to flee. Military sources said they would keep the pressure on the launching cells in the coming days.^[111]

October 7, 2007

In a rocket barrage fired by Palestinian militants, eight mortar shells, three Qassam rockets and one Katyusha rocket landed inside Israeli territory. One studio was completely burned down by a mortar shell in Kerem Shalom. The Katushya rocket landed 400 meters from Netivot, 11 km away from the Gaza Strip. It was the first rocket to hit the Netivot area. Last week ten Qassam rockets and 20 mortar shells hit the Negev. Nobody was injured in the attacks.^[112]

October 13, 2007

Israeli aircraft fired at a group of militants busy launching Qassam rockets near Beit Hanoun. The explosion killed one militant and injured three more. All the militants belonged to Hamas.^[113]

October 22, 2007

More than 15 Qassam rockets are fired into Israel on October 21 and 22, according to the IDF.^[114]

October 23, 2007

A PRC commander of Qassam launching cells is killed by an IAF airstrike in the Strip. He was known as Mubarak al Hassanat and was an official in the Hamas-led government in the Gaza Strip. He was the main target of the airstrike, because of the large role of the PRC in the launching of mortars and Qassams on Israel.^[115]

Following the death of al Hassanat, eleven Qassam rockets and eight mortar shells hit the Negev.^[114] At least five struck Sderot, with one hitting an apartment building. The Salah al-Din Brigades claimed responsibility.^[116]

October 24, 2007

After a rocket barrage on the Western Negev, with five Qassam rockets and several mortar shells, IAF planes circled above the Gaza Strip, looking for launching cells. One of the planes found a launching cell and fired a missile at the five militants. Two were killed and three injured. All were members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. None of the rockets inflicted injuries, although a house was burnt down and two people suffered from shock in Sderot.^[117]

October 25, 2007

Ten Qassam rockets are launched causing no injuries nor damage.^[118][119]

Gaza terrorists have been using Google Earth to guide their targeting.^[9]

October 26, 2007

Seven Qassam rockets are fired into Israel. One woman in Sderot suffers from shock.^[120]

October 30, 2007

After a barrage of mortar shells, the IAF shelled a police building of Hamas in the Abasan village. Four Hamas militants died in the attack.

After four Qassams are fired into Israel, IDF soldiers entered the Gaza Strip and targeted a launching cell, but missed them. The missile slammed into a residence, injuring six Palestinian civilians.

October 31, 2007

Eight mortar shells are fired into Israel, some of them are fired from a school yard. The IAF had them in sight, but could not fire, an IDF statement reported.^[121][122]

November 1, 2007

In an unprecedented rocket barrage, eight mortar shells and 13 Qassam rockets are fired at the Western Negev within an hour.^[123][124]

November 4, 2007

Three Qassams are fired into Israel causing a blackout. Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.

Shortly after the firing, Israeli choppers and planes flew over the strip, targeting a launching and fired several missiles at the cell. Three Palestinians were killed in the attack, and several others wounded. Palestinian doctors said all civilians, while Islamic Jihad said one of its members was killed and another clinically dead.

In a second strike, minutes later, IAF fired missiles at another launching squad, according to the IDF. Two Palestinians died.^[125][126]

November 15, 2007

Two Qassam launchers, members of the Fatah-affiliated Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, are killed by an IAF attack while launching Qassams.^[127]

November 21, 2007

A rocket barrage of five Qassam rockets and 18 mortar shells hit the Western Negev, including several kibbutzim, Sderot and Ashkelon. A woman in Ashkelon was treated for shock.^[128][129]

November 26, 2007

A Hamas operative is killed as he and his cell were launching Qassams at Sderot. Three Qassams landed inside Israeli territory, causing an IAF attack at the launchers, killing one and injuring four more.^[130]

November 27, 2007

IAF helicopters and planes bombed a Hamas post in Southern Gaza, after the militant group had fired at least ten mortar shells into Israeli territory. A Hamas militant, who was inside the building when the planes attacked, was killed in the blasts.

^[131][132]

December 2, 2007

A mortar barrage hits a kibbutz, causing some damage.

December 3, 2007

Three more Hamas fighters are killed while trying to launch mortars near Beit Lahiya. They were killed by Armored Corps soldiers.

Four IDF soldiers are hurt as a mortar shell explodes near their base, in Nahal Oz.

December 5, 2007

Three Hamas militants are overnight killed while launching mortars at Sderot. One of the mortars hit a residential building, causing a woman in shock and a lot of damage.^[133]

December 11, 2007

In a large operation inside the Gaza Strip, the biggest since the Hamas takeover in June 6, 2007, eight Palestinians are killed and more than 60 detained. More than 30 tanks and bulldozers entered the Southern Gaza Strip, backed by helicopters and airplanes. Three militants of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad are killed by an Israeli tank shell, while missiles killed two other gunman. Four Israeli soldiers were injured by Palestinian gunman, who fired several RPG missiles at the Israeli soldiers.^[134]

December 12, 2007

The day after the operation, about 20 Qassams were lobbed into Israel, causing three lightly injured Israeli civilians. 15 people were treated for shock.

December 13, 2007

Two more Qassams are fired into Israel, they moderately injured a woman in Sderot.

Hours after the strike, Israel retaliated with an airstrike in the Gaza Strip, causing three deaths. IDF and Palestinian medics both confirmed all the deaths were militants. Palestinian Islamic Jihad confirmed they lost three of their men, but medics said the three belonged to the small Fatah offshoot which fired two Qassam rockets into Israel hours earlier. Later it became clear that a top commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Sami Tafesh, was killed together with two members of the launching rocket squad of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.^[135]

December 16, 2007

Shrapnel from a rocket lightly to moderately wounds a 2-year-old boy. His mother is treated for shock. The rocket directly hit a house in Kibbutz Zikim.^[136]

December 18, 2007

Three Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants were killed in two separate airstrikes. A high ranking commander and two other PIJ militants were driving in a vehicle, loaded with Qassam and mortars. All men inside the car died. In the first attack, the target was top commander, and the chief for firing Qassam rockets in the Strip, Majed al Harazin. According to a spokesman of the PIJ, Harazin was the chief of the PIJ Qassam squads and hadn't traveled for years because he feared an assassination. He was wanted for nine years. The spokesman said his death would be avenged with suicide attacks and more rockets.

The second airstrike was aimed at a cell of PIJ militants who were trying to fire Qassam rockets into Israeli territory, to retaliate the death of their comrades. Two people died, and a second was seriously wounded. Later it became clear that one of the dead was a top Qassam builder and commander, known as Karim Dahdouh.

Despite the air attacks, militants of all groups were able to fire at least 15 Qassam rockets and mortars, causing only some damage.

In order to halt the rocket firing, IDF forces entered the strip looking for launching cells, but met fierce restistance from gunman in Jabalya. In the camp, four militants of the PIJ were killed in a fierce battle.

Another highly ranked commander from the PIJ was killed in the West Bank, Katabya. Tarik Abu al Ra-ali was killed when IDF soldiers noticed him. He was wanted for over five years.

In an airstrike at a Hamas post in Southern Gaza, two Hamas militants are killed.^[137][138]

December 20, 2007

Five Qassam rockets struck Israel at open areas near Sderot and Ashkelon. One of the rockets landed in a schoolyard in Sderot, where 12 pupils had to be treated for shock. The Red Color alert was alarmed and children ran to shelter to protect them from shrapnel.

After the barrage, Israeli forces entered the Central Gaza Strip in search of rocket launchers, killing six Palestinians. Palestinian gunmen launched mortar shells at troops and fired at Israeli aircraft with machine guns as Israeli snipers took up positions on the roofs of homes in the area. Three militants were from Islamic Jihad, two from Hamas, and one from the Popular Resistance Committees. 20 Palestinians are wounded, as well as a cameraman from Reuters. A Palestinian anti-tank rocket severely injures an Israeli soldier. At least three other soldiers were lightly wounded.^{[139][140][141][142][143][144]}

December 27, 2007

At around 1:00 pm, Israeli forces entered the Southern Gaza Strip, looking for Qassam launchers and infrastructure. This action was noticed by several Hamas and Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine militants, who rushed to the scene, but were sensed by Israeli drones. Three of them were killed in a pretty fierce battle, in which several anti tank missiles and anti aircraft missiles were fired at Israeli forces, and Palestinian militants were shelled by Israeli artillery. Four Palestinian militants were wounded. All the dead belonged to the armed wing of Hamas.

IAF planes fired a missile at a car fully loaded with rifles, rockets and other weaponry. At the moment of the strike, three persons were in the car, only one was killed. Two others were also hurt. The persons and weapons belonged to the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, meant to be used to fire rockets at Israel and hurting Israeli soldiers, the group said. Later another PIJ succumbed to his wounds.^[145]

Another topranked commander from the PIJ is killed in a missile strike. Muhammad Abu Abdullah was killed while driving in his car with other PIJ militants. He was the PIJ leader of Central Gaza and was killed, together with two of his comrades. Several other Palestinians were wounded in the attack.^[146]

December 31, 2007

A barrage of 14 mortar bombs and one Qassam rocket landed in open areas in the northern and southern Negev. No damage or injuries were sustained.^[147][148]

2008

2009

Even after the conclusion of Operation Cast Lead, Qassams are a relevant portion of the rockets and mortar shells fired from Gaza into Israel. The frequency and number of the attacks can be observed in the graph. Detailed data indicating Qassam occurrence can be found at "Timeline of the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict". The graph uses these data due mainly to Haaretz news reports from the 1st of February ^[149] up to the 28th ^[150].

See also

Timeline of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

• Second Intifada
• Israel-Gaza conflict
• Timeline up to 2006 Gaza crisis
• 2004 Israel-Gaza conflict
• 2006 Israel-Gaza conflict
• 2006 Israel-Gaza conflict casualties timeline
• 2007–2008 Israel-Gaza conflict
• 2008 Israel-Gaza conflict
• 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict
• Palestinian factional violence
• Gaza Division
• Israel's unilateral disengagement plan
• Israeli Gaza Strip barrier
• Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)

References