Hamas' Use of Explosive Al-Zawari Drones in Israel Attack Sparks International Concern

Quincy Jon, Tech Times 09 October 2023, 11:10 am

(Photo: Photo by MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images) Smoke billows behind highrise buildings during an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 9, 2023. Israel relentlessly pounded the Gaza Strip overnight and into October 9 as fighting with Hamas continued around the Gaza Strip, as the death toll from the war against the Palestinian militants surged above 1,100.

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed branch of the Palestinian Hamas organization, announced that they had carried out a significant strike against Israeli targets using drones packed with explosives. The attack, which started on Saturday, escalated into a deadly battle that left 600 Israelis and 370 Palestinians dead on Sunday.

Al-Qassam Brigades said they used 35 Al-Zawari attack drones against numerous Israeli fronts. Mohamed Al-Zawari, a Tunisian engineer, developed these assault drones. Hamas claims Israeli intelligence assassinated Al-Zawari in Tunisia in 2016, according to Anadolu.

On Saturday, Hamas started "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood," citing the seizure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and an increase in settler violence for their comprehensive attack on Israel. During the attack, the organization claimed to have launched rockets and seized several Israelis.

Hamas Drone Attacks Caught on Cam

Footage of the Hamas attack on Israel has surfaced online. Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV station initially aired the videos on Sunday and has gone viral on social media, per Business Insider. They offer up-close images of the Gaza border bombings of Israeli surveillance towers. Footage shows that weapons systems were targeted before Hamas launched missiles, paragliders flew over the border, and gunmen penetrated the border to engage Israeli forces, kill civilians, and seize hostages.

The Al-Zawari drone is a mobile fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is sized similarly to the Russian Lancet drone. According to Forbes, it is named in Mohammed Al-Zawari's honor. The Al-Zawari drone, originally intended for reconnaissance, is currently being used for assault missions.

Hamas said in 2021 that their Shabab small-attack drone could avoid Iron Dome interceptors. Drones are more difficult to spot than rockets because they may fly low to the ground instead of using a high-arching ballistic trajectory.

Al-Zawari drones were launched simultaneously, intended to overload Israeli defenses and increase the probability of a breach, according to released footage of the Israel-Hamas war.

A Hamas drone strikes an Israeli tank. This technique require serious training.

There are two countries that have pilots who can do such drops effectively - Ukraine and Russia. And I bet it wasn’t Ukraine who trained Hamas pilots, but Russia

pic.twitter.com/NwCLjJqGwB
— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@Mylovanov) October 7, 2023

Israel, US Take Military Action

After the Hamas attack, Israel began "Operation Swords of Iron" against Hamas in Gaza and bombed Palestinian land.

On Saturday night, Israel's Security Cabinet declared war and approved "significant military steps." The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the decision and cited Clause 40 of Israel's Basic Law.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin acknowledged Israel's munitions delivery on Sunday. Israel may have sought interceptors and precision-guided bombs. These interceptors are for Israel's Iron Dome defense system, which targets and neutralizes Hamas rockets, frequently leading them to safely explode in the air, Al Jazeera reported.

The US had pre-positioned $2 billion in weaponry at six Israeli locations. This arsenal is meant to strengthen Israel's defense and be ready for crises.

The Israel-Hamas war, defined by the deployment of drones and airstrikes, highlights how warfare has changed in the 21st century and how battle drones have emerged as a distinctive weapon that is affordable and simple to employ by both state and non-state players.