Homemade rockets. Modified AK-47s. Decades-old Soviet machine guns. Cheap, second-hand, and purloined weapons comprised Hamas’ deadly makeshift arsenal that fueled a devastating, multi-pronged attack on Israel over the weekend.
CNN analyzed dozens of photos and videos of Hamas militants during the surprise assault to identify the weapons used to kill at least 1,200 people in Israel. Many of the weapons appeared to be altered Russian or Chinese firearms, presumedly left behind on the battlefield in decades past that eventually made their way into the hands of Hamas terrorists, experts say.
One expert described how the intricately planned assault, in which Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel by land, sea and air, reflects a change in Hamas’ overall military strategy. Others believe certain firearms were likely supplied from Iran, which the US State Department has said bolsters the terrorist group with money, military equipment and training....
...AK-47s
In many of the videos and photos CNN analyzed, assailants toted AK-47s. Lethal, user friendly and easy to find, it’s the preferred assault rifle for militant groups, experts said.
“If you hold down the trigger, you can empty the whole magazine. It has a high cyclic rate of fire. It can be used to spray bullets,” said Stephen Biddle, a Columbia University professor and defense expert, who described the ubiquity of the weapons. “It’s not like Hamas went out of its way to acquire these things.”
One video published on Hamas’ Telegram channel shows fighters – most carrying AK-47s – storming an Israeli military outpost. The assailants make their way through Israeli neighborhoods, fire at an Israeli tank and hold civilians at gunpoint.
Several of the experts CNN spoke to mentioned modifications that some groups will make to AK-47s, including removing equipment to make the weapons lighter and easier to use.
“They would modify it because they’re just all about practicality,” said Lyons.
Spencer noted that modifications like these are often a sign of an unprofessional, yet still dangerous force.
“If it was all standardized, that would be a sign of professionalization,” he said. “You can make minor modifications to older equipment to make it just as effective or make it a little more effective or ergonomic.”
Some of the AK-47s, according to several experts, are also likely old Soviet weapons that were left behind during the federation’s invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s. Others may be old Chinese weapons funneled into the terrorists’ weapons network. Some may have come from Iraq, where Saddam Hussein bought AK-47s by the thousands. Also, a slew of small arms from Libya penetrated the black market in the 2010s, experts say.
To Lyons, this is the conundrum when more sophisticated militaries leave equipment behind on the battlefield – it may eventually wind up in the hands of terrorist groups.
“This could have been filmed 40 years ago. This is the same equipment,” Lyons said. “They’re simply designed, and they’re designed to work in the most austere and worst conditions in the world.”...
