Al-Qassam releases footage of significant ATGM strike on Israeli APC

By Ali Halawi
Source: Al Mayadeen English
25 Jun 2024 05:36
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What ATGM did al-Qassam fighters use against the Israeli armored force in Rafah? Here is a full detail of the landmark operation conducted in Rafah.

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An al-Qassam Brigades fighter aims an ATGM at Israeli occupation forces in Tal Zua'rob in Rafah, the Gaza Strip, Palestine, on June 23, 2024. (al-Qassam Brigades/Military Media)

Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades released footage of a landmark operation conducted in Rafah on Sunday, where its anti-armor force hit and destroyed a heavily armored personnel carrier (APC).

The operation marks a landmark moment in the Resistance's confrontation with the Israeli invasion of Rafah, as it saw the first use of an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) in the area.

Al-Qassam fighters monitored Israeli occupation forces (IOF) positioned at the Palestinian-Egyptian border on Sunday, before firing the missile and destroying a heavily armored personnel carrier.

The footage reveals that al-Qassam fighters utilized what its Military Media Unit dubbed the "Red Arrow," which is a variant of the Chinese-developed HJ-8 ATGM. As was seen in the attack, al-Qassam fighters monitored the position of an armored Israeli force, which included an Ofek APC, usually utilized for command and control purposes.

The APC is based on older versions of the Merkava main battle tank and is fitted with various communication equipment, stationed in a bridge that replaces the tank's 105 mm main gun and other offensive systems.

The HJ-8 ATGM system as well as the missile are seen in this picture on display at an exhibition, on May 23, 2007. (Commons)

Utilizing a version of the HJ-8 missile, an al-Qassam fighter shot and directed the munition toward the Ofek vehicle, achieving a direct hit which later burst the vehicle into flames.

The HJ-8 missile used in the video is reportedly the lighter version, designated HJ-8L, and was designed for easier transportation, however, maintains great armor-penetration capabilities, as evident in the footage.

Israeli troops could be seen escaping the area of the attack, as rescue forces were later sent to the area to retrieve casualties and the destroyed vehicle. Al-Qassam fighters later fired Rajoum 114 mm rocket artillery shells toward the rescue forces.

فرحة شباب القسّام .. يارب نعيش فرحة النصر الأكبر
الله يرضى عن حماس ويرضى عن شباب القسّام💚
pic.twitter.com/yxxqkuklos
— محمد نبيل 🇵🇸🔻⭕️ (@Mnn_611) June 24, 2024

Gaza's terrain and the heavy clusters of buildings have made the use of ATGM unfavorable for Palestinian Resistance factions, who have heavily depended on the use of improvised explosive devices and close-range confrontation that saw extensive deployment of locally-produced and imported rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).

However, the southern end of Rafah, especially the Tal Zua'rob area, hosts more favorable conditions for the use of ATGMs as the area is largely barren and hosts no residential clusters that could block the sight of the operator.

Al-Qassam challenges once more the claims of its demise, which figures like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have attempted to propagate through this operation. The attack and the recovery of detailed footage from al-Qassam's cameras stand as a testament to the Resistance's ongoing capability to defend the towns and cities of the Gaza Strip, despite more than 260 days of war on the besieged territory.

It is worth noting that the Resistance owns and has deployed ATGM systems such as the 9M14 Malyutka, Kornet, and the DPRK's Bulsae-2 among other systems that managed to find a way into the blockaded Gaza Strip.

Operations conducted by the Resistance on June 24, 2024

As for the operations conducted by the Palestinian Resistance this Sunday, multiple armed factions executed direct and indirect attacks on occupation forces across the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad's (PIJ) al-Quds Brigades fired barrages of mortar shells at occupation forces.

In an initial operation, the brigades said that its fighters fired heavy-caliber mortar shells, likely 120 mm mortar shells, at Israeli occupation troops and vehicles near the Egyptian Tower in southern Rafah.

Mortar units also attacked occupation forces in the Tell al-Sultan neighborhood.

Further north, al-Quds Brigades fighters targeted Israeli occupation forces positioned in the strategic Netzarim Axis, which separates the northern Gaza Strip from the rest of the besieged territory.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades also fired 107 mm rockets at Israeli forces in Netzarim.

Al-Quds Brigades' Rocket Force also launched rocket artillery shells at several Israeli settlements, including Avshalom, Holit, occupied Askalan, Sderot, and Meflasim. Al-Mujahideen Brigades fighters launched a salvo of rockets at the Sufa military site to the east of Rafah.

Moreover, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine's (DLFP) National Resistance Brigades fired mortar shells at occupation forces in the Brazil neighborhood in Rafah.