TEL AVIV Ñ Hamas is believed to have deployed its new
Kassam-3 short-range rocket.
Israeli military sources said Hamas first used the Kassam-3 in attacks
on communities in southwestern Israel last week. The Kassam-3 is said to
have a range of up to 12 kilometers.
One of the Kassam-3 rockets slammed into a home in Kibbutz Saad. It was
the first time a Kassam-class rocket struck a target inside Israel.
The attack culminated an intensive Hamas effort to complete development
of the Kassam-3. The rocket is meant to strike Israeli cities near the West
Bank and Gaza Strip.
The Kassam-1 and Kassam-2 rockets were regarded as insufficient to
strike Israeli targets. The Kassam-1 has a range of 4.5 kilometers and the
Kassam-2 is said to have a range of up to eight kilometers.
Israeli military sources said the military has recovered and examined
the Kassam-3. The sources said the Kassam-3 has a range of between eight and
10 kilometers.
The Kassam-3 rocket also has a caliber of 170 mm. The Kassam-2 has a
caliber of 110 mm.
The sources said the Kassam-3 is said to be largely inaccurate. But they
said the longer range could place such cities as Ashkelon within the sight
of Palestinian gunners in the northern Gaza Strip.
