Created in mid-1991,[63] they were at the time concerned with blocking theOslo Accords negotiations.[64][65] From 1994 to 2000, Al-Qassam Brigades have claimed responsibility for carrying out a number of attacks againstIsraelis.[53]
At the beginning of theSecond Intifada, the group became a central target ofIsrael. Al-Qassam Brigades operated several cells in theWest Bank. Hamas retained a forceful presence in the Gaza Strip, generally considered its stronghold.Yahya Sinwar, Hamas political leader in the Gaza Strip from February 2017 to October 2024, was the main military leader in the Brigades in Gaza during theGaza war.[66][67] Afterhis killing, Sinwar was succeeded by his brotherMohammed. Mohammed wasassassinated in May 2025 and was succeeded byIzz al-Din al-Haddad.
Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, Syrian Muslim preacher and leader in Arab nationalist resistance to British and French rule, a militant opponent of Zionism in the 1920s and 1930s
Al-Qassam Brigades were named afterIzz ad-Din al-Qassam, aMuslim preacher andmujahid who fought inSyria,Libya, andPalestine.[63][80] In 1930, al-Qassam organised and established theBlack Hand, a militant organisation that was opposed toZionism and British and French rule in theLevant.[80] Before dying in a shootout with thePalestine Police Force in 1935, al-Qassam exhorted his followers to embrace martyrdom and fight until the last bullet, which turned him into a role model for Palestinian nationalists.[81]
The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades are an integral part of Hamas. While they are subordinate to Hamas's broad political goals and its ideological objectives, they have a significant level of independence in decision making.[69]
In 1997, political scientists Ilana Kass and Bard O'Neill described Hamas' relationship with the Brigades as reminiscent ofSinn Féin's relationship to theProvisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and quoted a senior Hamas official: "The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigade is a separate armed military wing, which has its own leaders who do not take their orders [from Hamas] and do not tell us of their plans in advance."[82]
Carrying the IRA analogy further, Kass and O'Neill argued that the separation of the political and military wings shielded Hamas' political leaders from responsibility for terrorism with theplausible deniability provided made Hamas an eligible representative for peace negotiations as had happened with Sinn Féin politicianGerry Adams.[83]
The fighters' identities and positions in the group often remain secret until their death. Even when they fight against Israeli incursions, all the militiamen wear a characteristic black hood on which the group's green headband is attached. The Brigades operate on a model of independent cells. Even high-ranking members are often unaware of the activities of other cells. This allows the group to constantly regenerate after member deaths.[84]
During theSecond Intifada, the leaders of the group were targeted by numerous airstrikes that killed many members, includingSalah Shehade andAdnan al-Ghoul. The former leader of the Brigades,Mohammed Deif, survived at least seven assassination attempts.[84]
In 1986, Shehada formed a network of resistance cells, calledal-Mujahidun al-Filastiniun ('Palestinian fighters'), who targeted Israeli troops and "traitors." This network operated until 1989, with their most famous operation being the 1989 kidnapping and killing of two Israeli soldiers:Avi Sasportas and Ilan Saadon.[63][89]
Hamas was officially established on 14 December 1987, forming other similar networks asal-Mujahidun al-Filastiniun, such as theAbdullah Azzam Brigades.[89] In the summer of 1991, during theFirst Palestinian Intifada (1987–1994), the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades were established, with their first act being the assassination of the rabbi ofKfar Darom.[89]
The EQB's transition to a recognised militant organisation began during the establishment of theOslo Accords to assistHamas efforts in blocking them.[95]
The year 2004 was pivotal in the development of Al-Qassam Brigades from a loosely-formed militia, into a structured organization with a defined chain of command.[96] TheIsrael Defense Forces (IDF)'s assassinations of local leadersAhmed Yassin andAbdel Aziz al-Rantisi resulted in decision-making power being transferred to leaders exiled in Damascus, which ultimately led to greater influence and funding from Syria, Iran, and Hezbollah.[97][96]
The Gaza strip was divided into six or seven regional divisions, headed by a division commander with responsibility over defined sectors of territory.[96] Each division commander oversaw regiment commanders and company commanders, who were responsible for small areas such as neighborhoods.[96] A focuson tunnel warfare was selected as a primary means of combating the IDF.[96]
Qassam rockets launched from Gaza, on display at an Israeli police station at Sderot, 2009.
In 2003 and 2004, the Brigades in Gaza resisted incursions by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), including thesiege of Jabalya in October 2004.
In 2005, as PresidentMahmoud Abbas had taken direct control of thePA security forces, which were loyal to the president'sFatah movement, the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip formed a separate 3,000-strong paramilitary police force, called theExecutive Force,[101] consisting of Al-Qassam Brigades members.[102][103][104][105]
In June 2006, Al-Qassam Brigades were involved in the operation which led to the capture of Israeli soldierGilad Shalit.[106] Al-Qassam Brigades engaged in heavy fighting in the Gaza Strip duringOperation Summer Rains, launched by the IDF. It was the first time in over 18 months that the brigades were actively involved in fighting against Israeli soldiers. In May 2007, the brigades acknowledged they lost 192 fighters during the operation.[107]
In January 2007, Abbas outlawed the Executive Force and ordered that its then-6,000 members be incorporated into the PA security forces under his command. The order was resisted by the Hamas government,[108] which instead announced plans to double the size of the force to 12,000 men.[109] Al-Qassam Brigades and the Executive Force took part in theHamas takeover of Gaza in June 2007.
In June 2008, Egypt brokered a ceasefire, which lasted until 4 November when Israeli forces crossed into Gaza and killed six Hamas fighters. This resulted in an increase in rocket attacks on Israel, going from two in September and October to 190 in November 2008. Both sides said the other had broken the truce.[110][111]
Organization
Al-Qassam Brigades are organized into formal military structures with established command hierarchies. They organize themselves from thesquad, all the way to thebrigade level, similar to conventional militaries. Strategies centered on targeted killings to remove key Hamas leaders are often ineffective, as Hamas is capable of promoting low-ranking members to replace those killed.[112]
The forces are mainly divided into five brigades, divided geographically. Each brigade is divided into multiple battalions, with 30 total battalions. Each battalion is associated with a major settlement. They may be relocated and change their areas of responsibility during conflicts.[112]
Possible Elite Battalion per reports by Arab media, unconfirmed by Hamas or IDF.
Central Brigade—Central Governorate
Deir al Balah Battalion
Al Bureij Battalion
Al Maghazi Battalion
Nusairat Battalion
Possible Elite Battalion
Khan Younis Brigade—Khan Younis Governorate
Camp (West Khan Younis) Battalion
North Khan Younis Battalion
South Khan Younis Battalion
Eastern (Khan Younis) Battalion
Qarara Battalion
Elite Battalion
Rafah Brigade—Rafah Governorate
Eastern Battalion
Khalid bin al Walid (Yabna Camp) Battalion
Shaboura Battalion
Possible fourth battalion, name unknown.
Elite Battalion
As a result of the Israeli invasion of Gaza Hamas suffered heavy losses and multiple battalions were dismantled by the IDF. According to the ISW by September 2024 Hamas is fighting in a disorganized manner through small, de-centralized cells of fighters.[113][better source needed] ISW and American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project had noted in August 2024 that these cells are capable of merging to rebuild the battalions or regenerating the destroyed battalions by recruitment when IDF withdraws from areas.[114]
Recruitment
Hamas fighters are largely recruited from unemployed minors, aged under 18. About 50,000 Gazan youths under 18 registered for "security" training.[115][116][117] Recruitment is likely driven by the highest unemployment in the world, where 45% of Gazans are unemployed.[118][119] Al-Qassam spokesmanAbu Obaida stated in a public speech in 2023 during theGaza–Israel conflict that 85% of their recruits are orphans desiring revenge whose parents were killed by the Israeli Defense Forces.[120][121][122]
Strength and armament
Since its establishment in December 1987, the military capability of the Brigades has increased markedly, from rifles toQassam rockets and more.[123] Although the Brigades manufacture their own weapons,[124] anAssociated Press analysis found that the majority of their arms come fromChina,Iran, andRussia, as well asNorth Korea and formerWarsaw Pact countries. The Associated Press was unable to determine whether Hamas obtains weapons directly from those nations or througharms trafficking.[125] China and North Korea have denied directly arming the Brigades,[18][126] but American, Israeli, and South Korean intelligence suggests that North Korea has,[18] while a Hamas official has stated the group received permission from Russia to copy its weapons. Iran is believed to smuggle weapons to the Brigades viaunderground tunnels in Gaza.[124]
The Brigades run their own intelligence division.[127]
While the number of members is known only to the Brigades leadership, in 2011, Israel estimated that the Brigades have a cadre of several hundred members who receive military-style training, including training in Iran andSyria.[129][better source needed] Additionally, the Brigades have an estimated 30,000 operatives "of varying degrees of skill and professionalism" who are members of the internal security forces, Hamas, and their supporters. These operatives can be expected to reinforce the Brigades in an "emergency situation."[130] Other sources estimate their strength at 30,000–50,000.[131][132] An October 2023 estimate provides a figure of 40,000 fighters, with expertise in cyber security, naval warfare, and other specializations.[133]
According to a statement by CIA directorGeorge Tenet in 2000, possibly referring to the Brigades, Hamas has pursued a capability to conductattacks with toxic chemicals.[123] There have been reports of Hamas operatives planning and preparing attacks incorporating chemicals. In one case, nails and bolts packed into explosives detonated by a Hamas suicide bomber in a December 2001 attack inBen-Yehuda Street inJerusalem were soaked inrat poison.[123] In 2014, they launched the firstPalestinian reconnaissance (UAV) aircraft, calledAbabeel1.
Gaza forces
During the Gaza war, the IDF published its intelligence about the Hamas military in the Gaza Strip.[127] They put the strength of the Qassam Brigades there at the start of the war at 30,000 fighters, organised by area in five brigades, consisting in total of 24 battalions and c. 140 companies. Each regional brigade had a number of strongholds and outposts, and included specialised arrays for rocket firing, anti-tank missiles, air defenses, snipers, and engineering.[127]
On 8 January 2024, Israel discovered the largest known weapons factory of Hamas in Bureij. The site was opened for reporters by the IDF which contained, metal tubes and components as well as shell casings were stacked in an overground workshop area and long metal racks holding missiles could be seen. An elevator lead into a tunnel where rockets were stored and is connected to a tunnel network which allowed Hamas to transport rockets underground to launch sites.[134] The same month, Israel reported that it discovered a "massive" stockpile of Chinese weaponry used by Hamas.[135]
a bomb in a garbage bin explodes in Tel Aviv duringrush hour[140]
14
Hamas
19 October 1998
two grenades thrown into a crowd at theBe'er Sheva bus station during rush hour.[141]
59
Hamas
29 October 1998
a Hamas suicide car bomber attempts to ram a school bus head-on near theGush Katif Junction. An IDF jeep escorting the bus blocked the bomber who detonated the vehicle, killing the driver of the jeep and injuring 2 others. Six people in the bus received light injuries.[141]
two suicide bombers detonated one after the other followed by a car bomb in a mall in West Jerusalem.[146]
11
130+
Hamas
2 December 2001
a suicide bomber boarded an Israeli bus traveling from theNave Sha'anan district inHaifa; paying the driver with a large bill, he then blew himself.[146]
15
40
Hamas
9 March 2002
a suicide bomber explodes in the crowded Moment café in the center ofJerusalem.[147]
a terrorist attack on a bus traveling fromBnei Brak toEmmanuel, wherein an explosive charge was detonated next to the bullet-resistant bus. The terrorists waited in ambush, reportedly wearing Israeli army uniforms, and opened fire on the bus.[150]
during February 2008, 257 rockets and 228 mortars were fired from the Gaza Strip into the western Negev causing 5 injuries, and on 27 February, the death of a 47-year-old student atSapir College. Hamas has previously claimed responsibility for rocket barrages.[153]
1
Hamas
7 October 2023
In a cross-border land incursion dubbedOperation Al-Aqsa Flood, some 3,000 militants infiltrated Israel using trucks, motorcycles, bulldozers, speedboats, and powered paragliders; attacked multiple population centers and military targets in the Gaza periphery, includingSderot,Re'im,Zikim,Be'eri,Holit,Kfar Aza,Netiv HaAsara,Nir Oz,Alumim, andNahal Oz; killed at least 1,400 people; and took over 200 people hostage.
Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), Lions' Den
Killed leaders
On 3 September 2005, after Israel's withdrawal from settlements in the Gaza Strip, Al-Qassam Brigades revealed for the first time the names and functions of its commanders on its website as well as in a printed bulletin distributed to Palestinians.[154] On 12 July 2006, theIsraeli Air Force bombed a house in theSheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, where Mohammed Deif, Ahmad al-Ghandur, and Raid Said were meeting. The three-story house was completely leveled, killing Hamas official Nabil al-Salmiah, his wife, their five children and two other children. Two of the three brigades leaders present escaped with moderate wounds. Deif received a spinal injury that required four hours of surgery.[155]
On 1 January 2009,Nizar Rayan, a top Hamas leader who served as a liaison between the Palestinian organization's political leadership and its military wing, was killed in an Israeli Air Force strike duringOperation Cast Lead.[156] The day before the attack, Rayan had advocated renewal ofsuicide attacks on Israel, declaring, "Our only language with the Jew is through the gun".[157] A 2,000-pound bomb was dropped on his house, also killing his 4 wives (Hiam 'Abdul Rahman Rayan, 46; Iman Khalil Rayan, 46; Nawal Isma'il Rayan, 40; and Sherine Sa'id Rayan, 25) and 11 of their children (As'ad, 2; Usama Ibn Zaid, 3; 'Aisha, 3; Reem, 4; Miriam, 5; Halima, 5; 'Abdul Rahman, 6; Abdul Qader, 12; Aaya, 12; Zainab, 15; and Ghassan, 16).[158][159][160][161] On 3 January 2009, Israeli aircraft attacked the car in which Abu Zakaria al-Jamal, a leader of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam armed wing, was traveling. He died of the wounds suffered in the bombing.[162] The following day, the Israeli Air Force struck and killed in Khan Yunis two senior Brigrade leaders, Hussam Hamdan and Muhammad Hilo, both of whom the Israelis blamed for attacks against Israel. According to Israeli authorities Hamdan was in charge of rocket attacks againstBeersheba andOfakim, while Hilo was reportedly behind Hamas' special forces in Khan Yunis.[163] On 15 January 2009, the Israeli Air Force bombed a house inJabaliya, killing a prominent Brigades commander named Mohammed Watfa. The strike targeted the Palestinian Interior MinisterSaid Seyam, who was also killed.[164]
On 30 July 2010, one of the leadersIssa Abdul-Hadi Al-Batran, aged 40, was killed at theNuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip by an Israeli airstrike.[165] On 14 November 2012,Ahmed Jaabari, the head of Al-Qassam Brigade, was killed along with seven others in Gaza, marking the beginning of Israel's "Operation Pillar of Defense".[59][166] On 21 August 2014, an Israeli air strike killed Muhammad Abu Shamala, the sub-commander of Southern Gaza Strip;Raed al Atar, the commander of theRafah company and member of the Hamas high military council; and Mohammed Barhoum.[167] On 30 January 2018,Imad Al-Alami died as a result of injuries sustained while he was inspecting his personal weapon in Gaza City.[168]
Hamas confirmed in November 2023 that Israeli airstrikes had killedAhmed Ghandour, the commander of Al-Qassam Brigade in northern Gaza;Ayman Siam, head of the rocket-firing unit; andFursan Khalifa, a senior commander in theWest Bank, as well as Ghandour's deputy Wael Rajab.[169]Marwan Issa, deputy leader of Al-Qassam Brigades and second-in-command to Mohammed Deif, was reported to have beenkilled by Israeli forces on 10 March 2024.[170]
On 13 May 2025, the IDF andShin Bet said thatMohammed Sinwar, commander of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, had been targeted in an Israeli airstrike on a bunker under theGaza European Hospital inKhan Yunis. The strike killed 26 people, according to theGaza Health Ministry, but Sinwar's fate was unclear.[171][172][173] According to the Saudi channelAl-Hadath, the bodies of Sinwar andMuhammad Shabana were recovered from the tunnel. Israeli defense ministerIsrael Katz said that "according to all the indications Muhammad Sinwar was eliminated."[174] Senior Hamas officialOsama Hamdan said that Hamas members in the Gaza Strip had told him that Sinwar was still alive.[175] On 28 May 2025, Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu said that Sinwar had been killed.[176] On 31 May 2025, the IDF and Shin Bet confirmed that Sinwar had been killed.[177][178] On 8 June 2025, the IDF said they found Sinwar's body in an "underground passageway beneath the European Hospital" in Khan Yunis.[179]
Aninverted red triangle has been used as a "signature" by the Qassam Brigades to highlight combat vehicles and ground forces that are about to be targeted
After Israel launched the ground invasion of Gaza on 27 October 2023, the Qassam Brigades publicized many of their ambushes against Israeli vehicles on their military media for the battle of al-Aqsa Flood. Most of these videos, shot mainly from the fighters' point of view through aGoPro camera involve the ambush of vehicles, targeted by rockets before the militiamen retreat to their bases, though footage of sniper operations and targeting ground forces has been published as well.[citation needed]
Targets were highlighted with a flashinginverted red triangle.[183] Due to the nature of these attacks, being hit and run and militiamen turning away immediately after the round has been shot, as well as the Israeli vehiclesTrophy APS, it has been called into question how effective these attacks were and how many tanks were successful hit instead of the rockets being intercepted. In spite of this, the Qassam brigades have publicised videos on their military media showing successful hits where plates are seen being torn off tanks after being hit by rockets, or the aftermath of their ambushes showing ignited vehicles,[184][185] as well as captured uniforms and weapons from the IDF.videos in July 2024 also show the Qassam Brigades destroying and igniting a Namer and a Merkava, which were both equipped with a trophy APS.[186]
^Halabi, Yakub (2016).Democratic Peace Across the Middle East: Islam and Political Modernisation. London:I.B. Tauris.ISBN9780857728821.The failure of the Palestinian left in consolidating a counterweight to the right-wing Islamic Hamas or to the centrist Fatah, furthermore, left Palestinian voters with no viable alternative to Hamas or Fatah.
^Best, Antony; Hanhimäki, Jussi M; Maiolo, Joseph A; Schulze, Kirsten E (2025).International History of the Twentieth Century and Beyond (4th ed.). Milton Park:Taylor & Francis.ISBN9780367352752.Indeed, more than anything, the Gaza Wars between 2006 and 2014 reflected that a modus vivendi had been reached between a right-wing Israeli government and a right-wing Hamas...
^Mabon, Simon; Ardovini, Lucia (2018).Sectarianism inf the Contemporary Middle East. London:Routledge.ISBN9781315097930.From a political perspective, Hamas ideologically leans more to a right-wing view in its political sense...
^"What is Hamas's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades?".Al Jazeera English. 26 October 2023. Retrieved24 August 2024.Hamas established its military unit, the Qassam Brigades, in 1992 to support its objective of armed resistance against Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The name is inspired by Syrian freedom fighter Ezzedine al-Qassam, who struggled against European colonisers in the Levant. After he was expelled to Palestine by the French colonialists, he took up the Palestinian cause, calling for armed resistance
^abcde"About Us".Al-Qassam Brigades Information Office. Archived fromthe original on 11 November 2014. Retrieved28 November 2014.
^ab"Protection of the civilian population".Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977. International Committee of the Red Cross.Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved10 July 2014.
^Yousef, Mosab (2009).Son of Hamas. Tyndale Housing Publisher. p. 57.
^"Hamas to expand 'Executive Force'"Archived 29 May 2018 at theWayback Machine.Jerusalem Post, 21 December 2006 "The Executive Force, which was established a few months ago by Interior Minister Said Siam of Hamas, today includes nearly 3,000 members."
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