26 Israeli Soldiers Killed by Hamas Armed with Drones and Missiles... Twice the Number from 9 Years Ago

Strengthening Self-Development Capabilities Amid Iran Support
Likely to Become a Prolonged Conflict

The American daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 4th (local time) that the Israeli military has suffered significant damage due to the powerful firepower of Hamas, the Palestinian armed faction engaged in war with Israel.

According to the report, Hamas has been fighting against the Israeli ground forces deployed in the Gaza Strip since the 27th of last month using drones equipped with explosives, anti-tank missiles, and high-powered rockets. This is different from the war with Israel nine years ago, when they relied on conventional unguided projectiles. The Israeli military suffered 26 fatalities within one week of entering the Gaza Strip. Compared to the 2014 Gaza Strip ground war, where the Israeli military lost about 10 soldiers per week on average over seven weeks, this is more than double.

Weapons recovered by the Israeli military from the site attacked by Hamas on the 7th of last month [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Hamas is currently known to produce missiles independently. In the past, rockets produced by Iran in Sudan were smuggled into the Gaza Strip through tunnels in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, but after the tunnels were destroyed during Israel's invasion in 2014, it appears they began producing them on their own. The first-generation rocket 'Qassam,' which had a range of about 3.2 to 4.8 km, has undergone three generations of development and is now reported to have a range of up to 241 km.

In addition, Hamas is known to possess 'Ababil,' a drone modeled after Iran's attack drones, the independently developed drone 'Juari,' and guided underwater torpedoes. WSJ reported that the Israeli military is facing attacks from Hamas using North Korean-made anti-tank weapons such as the F-7, and portable anti-tank guided missiles like the Russian-developed but Iran-copied Kornet.

Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence officer, predicted that Israel will ultimately win this war but will need to prepare for a prolonged conflict due to Hamas's sophisticated weapons.

The underground tunnels extending throughout the Gaza Strip are also a hidden threat. Since they connect to the sea, it is speculated they could be used for smuggling, unmanned long-range boats, and diver operations. Currently, Israel has deployed the special forces unit 'Yahalom,' which specializes in tunnel search and destruction. The Israeli military announced that on the 7th of last month, they struck an underground bunker in the Gaza Strip, killing dozens of Hamas fighters, including senior Hamas commanders.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.