The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas has used a diverse arsenal of weapons from countries such as North Korea, China, Russia and Iran in its war against Israel, according to an analysis carried out by the agency Associated Press (AP), published on Monday (15).
A AP says that to reach this conclusion he analyzed more than 150 videos and images that were captured during the fighting in Gaza, which began shortly after the Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel in October 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people in Israeli territory.
The results of the analysis carried out by the agency identified the characteristics and marks that indicate that these weapons originate from the aforementioned countries.
Among the weapons in the hands of terrorists in Gaza are Iranian sniper rifles, Chinese and Russian AK-47 rifles, North Korean and Bulgarian rocket-propelled grenades, and anti-tank rockets manufactured in an “artisanal” way inside the Palestinian enclave.
The American news agency said it is not “clear” whether such weapons were supplied directly by the governments of the countries mentioned or acquired on the illegal market. However, what is evident is that many of these weapons appear to be new, which may indicate that Hamas has recently found ways to obtain them, even while under a blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt.
According to the agency, These weapons may have entered the Palestinian enclave via boats, tunnels or hidden in shipments of food and other items.
Experts consulted by AP
During the analysis, they also recognized other weapons such as the AM-50 Sayyad sniper rifle, manufactured in Iran, and various military equipment from the Soviet era, which were probably rebuilt in Iran and China. Among the weapons found are also variants of the 9M32 Strela anti-aircraft missiles, of Russian origin.
NR Jenzen-Jones, a military weapons expert, told AP that most of the weapons used by Hamas at this time have Chinese, Russian, Iranian and North Korean origins.
An Israeli Army officer, who spoke anonymously to the agency, said that the terrorist group Hamas has also used a combination of “generic” weapons in the war that were probably smuggled. He also pointed out that terrorists manufacture weapons in an “artisanal” way within the enclave with easily accessible civilian materials.
“There is a huge military and defense industry in the Gaza Strip,” he said.
Authorities from Israel and Western countries point to Iran as one of Hamas' biggest financiers. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claim that the Islamic country has long provided money, training and weapons to the Palestinian terrorist group. In addition to Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another terrorist group that operates in the enclave, also receives Iranian support.
Russia still maintains relations with Hamas, having even received a delegation from the terrorist group's political office at the end of October, the month in which Israel was the target of Palestinian attacks. The country led by Vladimir Putin has not yet directly condemned the terrorist group that has ruled Gaza since 2007 for the attacks on October 7th, however, it has criticized the Israeli counteroffensive in Gaza on several occasions.
This is also not the first time that accusations have surfaced of Chinese weapons being used in recent conflicts. In July last year, an investigation carried out by the newspaper Political, pointed out that the Asian country was secretly sending weapons to Russia for use in its invasion of Ukrainian territory. The number of military equipment sent to Moscow through shell companies was so high that it was enough to equip an entire army, according to the investigation.
Also earlier this month, a report by an Israeli broadcaster revealed that the Israel Defense Forces had found a “giant” cache of Chinese-made weapons that could be used by Hamas terrorists in Gaza in their war against the army. Israeli.
Seoul had already warned about North Korean weapons in Gaza
On the 8th, the South Korean intelligence service had already confirmed that Hamas terrorists were using weapons of North Korean origin.
Although Pyongyang denies that it has negotiated military equipment with the Palestinian group, Seoul intelligence was able to identify in Gaza the use of anti-tank grenade launchers that are produced in the country that lives under the regime of Kim Jong-un.
The South Korean intelligence service has already suspected that Hamas was using North Korean weapons since October, when the terrorist attacks against Israel took place.
In addition to Hamas, North Korea is also accused of supplying weapons to Russia for use in its invasion of Ukraine. Last year, Kim and Putin met to, according to information from international agencies, negotiate the exchange of weapons and ammunition for military technology equipment.
Earlier this month, Ukrainians confirmed the use of North Korean missiles on their territory. South Korea has also stated that Ukraine is being used as a “test site” for weapons produced by the Kim regime.
Ghazi Hamad, Hamas spokesman, admitted in an interview with AP that his group is looking for weapons, political support and money everywhere, but declined to explain specifically who has been supplying its weapons or how they arrived in Gaza.
Even with the use of weapons from abroad, terrorists continue to suffer casualties among their contingent. Since the start of the war in the Middle East, the Israeli military said it has killed or captured some 8,000 to 9,000 Palestinian terrorists. This information was passed on by Israel's military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, to the American broadcaster
NBC News.
The main objective of the Israeli offensive in Gaza is to eliminate Hamas and rescue the remaining hostages under the control of the terrorist group. Israeli authorities say that around 132 people are still being held captive by Hamas, 27 of whom may already be dead.
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