Overview of the Range of Hamas' Missiles Into Israel

Map of where Hamas' rockets can hit Israel

As anyone who follows the news in even the most perfunctory way knows by now, the past week has seen a major escalation in the long simmering conflict between Israel and Hamas.  Hamas are the rulers of the Gaza strip, and unlike Fatah of the PLO which rules the West Bank, Hamas has never accepted the idea of a peace treaty with Israel and remains committed to Israel's destruction in their Charter.

One reason Hamas has been so aggressive towards Israel in their current flare-up is that the Hamas arsenal of missiles and rockets is considerably more advanced then it was four years ago, which was the last time Israel and Hamas came to blows.  In Operation "Cast Lead", which is what Israel called the last battle against Hamas, Hamas' rockets were quite primitive and had a range of only a few kms.  In the current battle - which Israel has called "Pillar of Defense" - Hamas has a much more robust missile arsenal.  Consider the maps to the right and below.  Here is the range of Hamas' missiles which allows them to strike deep into Israel:

• Quassam - 17kms
• Grad - 20 kms
• Upgraded Grad - 40 kms
• Iranian Fajir-5 Missile - 75 kms

These dramatically improved ranges have allowed Hamas to target even Tel Aviv with their rocket attacks, and I believe that Hamas feels - and they are correct to a large extent - that this is a game changer for them.

Range of Hamas' Missiles into Israel is up to 75 kms - this puts even Tel Aviv within reach