Recruits and resilience – how Gaza’s fighters repurpose Israeli weapons
Al-Qassam snipers in Gaza. (Photo – video grab)
The Palestine Chronicle reports on 8 January 2025:
The Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas, have reportedly incorporated new fighters into their ranks in northern Gaza while utilizing unexploded Israeli ordnance to counter the ongoing military invasion, according to Israeli media reports.
Israeli Army Radio detailed these developments, citing military sources, during a briefing on the army’s operations in northern Gaza.
The report noted that some Qassam fighters had been veterans of the Brigades since before October 7, 2023, while others were newly recruited amidst the conflict.
The Israeli army further disclosed that explosives used by the Qassam Brigades were, in part, crafted from unexploded Israeli munitions.
This was exemplified by a recent ambush where Qassam fighters booby-trapped a house with a repurposed GBU missile, originally fired by Israeli forces. Video footage released by Al-Qassam documented Israeli soldiers entering the booby-trapped building moments before it was detonated, accompanied by the message: “Your goods have been returned to you.”
Other Qassam operations have employed Israeli artillery shells mounted on homemade rockets, underscoring the resourcefulness of Gaza’s resistance in repurposing enemy weapons.
These actions have intensified as Israeli forces continue their offensive in northern Gaza, particularly in areas like Beit Hanoun, Jabalia, and Beit Lahia.