110 days to the start of the fighting between Israel and Hamas, and the security establishment estimates that the stockpile of rockets in the hands of the terrorist organization has decreased significantly, and as of today is estimated at only a few hundred - this is what Israel Hayom learned.
According to the estimate, at the beginning of the fighting, Hamas had about 20,000 rockets and mortar bombs of various ranges, most of them short ranges.
In the first four hours of the October 7 attack, Hamas launched approximately 3,000 rockets and mortar bombs into Israeli territory, and in total, during the entire period of fighting, approximately 9,000 rockets penetrated Israeli territory.
For comparison, in the 34 days of the Second Lebanon War, 4,400 rockets were fired at Israel, and in the 51 days of Operation Protective Edge, approximately 4,500 rockets were fired at Israel.
Hamas rockets, photo: IDF spokesman
According to estimates, quite a few rockets launched by the terrorist organizations in Gaza fell in the Gaza Strip, and therefore the number of rockets actually launched is greater than 9,000.
The IDF's rocket hunting operation also contributes to the reduction of Hamas's rocket inventory, which managed to hit quite a few rockets from the air and from the ground, which significantly reduced the rocket inventory in the Gaza Strip.
launcher sites
The hunting of rockets has continued in recent days all over the Strip, even in the north of the Strip from which most of the forces left, and the IDF continues to eliminate rockets and launchers. In recent days, for example, the IDF reported that the fighters were operating in the area from which rocket fire was detected this week towards the Gaza Strip, and located a compound of rocket launchers.
It was also reported in recent days that the army located a loaded rocket launcher in an olive grove in the Al-Moazi area.
Iron Dome system in Ashkelon,
In addition to the attempts to locate the remaining rockets and launchers in the Gaza Strip, the IDF is also working to hit the launchers after they are fired into Israeli territory. For example, on the night after the 25 rockets were fired at Netivot last week, the IDF destroyed the launchers from which the rockets were fired.
Due to the dramatic decrease in the number of rockets in the hands of the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, it can be seen that the shooting at Israel has greatly decreased, since the terrorist organizations manage an "arms economy" in order to continue to threaten the Israeli home for a long time.
In recent days, Hamas has been firing single rockets every day, most of them into the Gaza Strip, and firing into the center and further ranges is rarely carried out.
"The Day After" Challenge
In order to reduce Hamas's ability to continue producing rockets while fighting, and to reduce its ability to fire "the day after", as part of the fighting in the Gaza Strip, the IDF focuses on the rocket production sites. For example, in recent days, dozens of machines were located and destroyed in the Zeytun neighborhood in the northern Gaza Strip and lathes for the production of rockets and munitions, as well as in other places in the Gaza Strip. Recently, there have been reports of the destruction of factories and central sites of the Hamas production sites in the Gaza Strip, many of which were found dozens of meters below the ground.
Beyond that, the army points out that in order to further reduce the shooting in the future there is no escaping finding a solution to the issue of Rafah and the Philadelphia axis, in order to prevent the continued strengthening of Hamas with rockets and other means of warfare.
As of this stage of the fighting, and in view of Egypt's strong opposition to action in the southern Gaza Strip, it is still unclear how it will be possible to overcome the mine.
Rocket barrage from Gaza on October 7, photo: AFP
One way or another, the IDF began trying to return the residents of the northern Gaza Strip, in settlements 4-7 kilometers from the Strip. But as long as the fighting continues, the IDF cannot guarantee the residents that they will not suffer rocket fire or individual mortar bombs from time to time, and the attempt has failed "He is to coordinate expectations with the residents, tell them the truth and make it clear to them that even after three and a half months of fighting, when they return to their homes they may be required to run to the protected areas.
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