It seems that the rules of the battle between the Palestinian resistance and the Israeli occupation have entered a new phase, confusing Tel Aviv’s calculations, after the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and other factions in the Gaza Strip used a locally developed version of rockets. "Strela 2" Anti-aircraft.
The recent hours of escalation in the Gaza Strip witnessed an intensity in the resistance forces firing surface-to-air missiles to confront Israeli warplanes, to obstruct their implementation of air strikes, in response to missiles fired by the resistance at settlements. "Gaza cover" Support for the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Martyr Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and other forces broadcast video clips of the operations of their air defenses, with surface-to-air missiles, against the occupation aircraft in the airspace of the Strip.
And Al-Jazeera Net indicates in a report published today, Sunday, that the Al-Qassam Brigades had the advantage of pioneering the use of this type of missile, prior to the recent wave of escalation, by announcing – for the first time – on April 3 that "Air Force" Its affiliate was on a training mission over the city of Rafah on the Palestinian-Egyptian border in the southern Gaza Strip, when Israeli warplanes intercepted a UAV. "shooting star" Homemade, the Qassam air defenses responded by targeting the invading aircraft with a number of surface-to-air missiles.
Homemade Strella
Political and military sources in the resistance revealed to Al Jazeera Net that the resistance engineers had succeeded in developing a local model of missiles "Strella 2" Soviet-made, anti-aircraft, "What happened in the past few days was an experimental stage for these missiles".
Resistance is looking to reach "Safe sky"by developing defensive systems that prevent Israeli warplanes from invading the Gaza Strip, after its success since 2014 in neutralizing military helicopters whose implementation requires offensive missions and hitting targets on the ground by flying at low altitudes, according to resistance sources.
She said that the resistance intensified after "Battle of Saif al-Quds" In May 2021, as part of its efforts to develop anti-aircraft missiles, in an attempt to prevent or reduce the risks of the intensive and safe flight of the occupation fighters in the airspace of Gaza, and the implementation of offensive raids, it has succeeded in obtaining "stock" of these missiles, which has been proven by the intensity of the recent response operations.
Since the third war on Gaza in 2014, the Al-Qassam Brigades and the resistance forces have been relying on the use of 14.5 Soviet-made cannons, with a firing range of up to two thousand meters, which contributed to neutralizing the helicopters, while the efforts of the resistance engineers resulted – according to the sources – in a local version of the missiles. "Strela 2, and although it is still in the experimental stage, it will contribute to obstructing the work of Israeli warplanes.
In 2013, the Al-Qassam Brigades revealed that they had a missile "Strella 2" It means in Arabic "arrow"did not disclose its source, and used it – for the first time – on April 19, 2022, to confront Israeli fighters in the airspace of Gaza.
At that time, Israel acknowledged targeting its plane with a surface-to-air missile, and later security and military circles said that "Planes are now flying over Gaza at great heights, after it was confirmed that Hamas had anti-aircraft missiles".
Rocket features "Strella 2":
This system of missiles is light in weight, carried on the shoulder, and is designed to target fighters and military helicopters at low altitudes, ranging from one thousand to 1,500 meters. Safe from monitoring and interception.
New strategy
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told Al-Jazeera Net: "The resistance is adopting a new strategy in dealing with the occupation aircraft in the skies of Gaza, and continues to develop its capabilities and tools to respond to its crimes.".
The resistance’s plans aim to reach the stage of securing the skies of Gaza from the hostile Israeli aircraft, and preventing it from flying and targeting, according to Qassem.
Among several forces that participated in confronting the aviation, the Air Defense Unit of the Mujahideen Movement showed a video clip showing one of its elements firing a surface-to-air missile, carried on the shoulder, and the leader of the movement Moamen Aziz told Al Jazeera Net: "The resistance is working around the clock in order to stabilize the deterrence theory" And it is working to develop homemade weapons and missiles, to prevent the occupation planes from flying over the skies of Gaza.
Notable fingerprints and remarkable development
The military expert, retired Major General Youssef Sharqawi, believes in the ability of the resistance in Gaza to reach an end "Safe sky"He told Al-Jazeera Net: "Since it is beginning to arrive"However, he does not exaggerate it, despite the potential danger to the occupation aviation, as a result of these missiles, which are still in the experimental stage, and need more time to develop in terms of accuracy, range and explosive power.
Although "Strella 2" or "Sam 7″, from which Sharkawy says it derived its third name "cobra" From the front of the missile, which is the source of nutrition and resembles a cobra in its high sensitivity, it is an old system that is still popular with many armies and liberation movements around the world.
In turn, the expert on Israeli affairs, Mustafa Ibrahim, told Al-Jazeera Net, that Israel views with great seriousness the remarkable development in the capabilities of the resistance in terms of targeting aviation, and Israeli military and security analysts have paused for a long time in front of the intensity witnessed by the recent escalation in the firing of surface-to-air missiles, which suggest Israeli levels. It is a local industry.
Although these missiles are still in their first stage, Israeli fears exist that they will succeed in shooting down a plane, which will cause a strategic shift in the confrontation, given that the Air Force has been the long arm of the Israeli army for decades, and relies on it for espionage operations and intelligence gathering, and for carrying out raids. air and offensive missions.
