An example of the scenario of taking over an IDF tank and abducting an IDF soldier, using a dummy model of an Israeli tank in one of the military exercises held by the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip before the war (the joint operations room's Telegram channel, December 29, 2020)
Badr 3 rockets found at the outpost (IDF website, November 17, 2023)
Weapons found at the outpost, Small arms.
RPG rocket with a tandem-charge warhead (IDF spokesperson, November 17, 2023)
A rocket launcher found at the outpost.
The outpost being destroyed by the IDF forces. The intensity of the blast indicates the presence of a large quantity of weapons at the outpost (IDF spokesperson, November 17, 2023)
The outpost being destroyed by the IDF forces. The intensity of the blast indicates the presence of a large quantity of weapons at the outpost (IDF spokesperson, November 17, 2023)
The course of events
- On November 16, 2023, after 12 hours of fighting, IDF forces captured an outpost of the commander of the northern area of the al-Quds Battalions, the military-terrorist wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the second largest organization in the Gaza Strip whose operatives participate in the fighting against the IDF. The outpost was used for training operatives of the organization’s military-terrorist wing and at the same time as a factory for the manufacture of weapons.
- IDF forces searched the outpost and found a large quantity of weapons, including two trucks loaded with weapons, parts of three Badr 3 rockets, parts of a UAV, RPG rockets with tandem-charge warheads, personal weapons, and PIJ intelligence materials. In addition, a dummy tank used by operatives of the military-terrorist wing to train for the takeover of an IDF tank was also found at the outpost. After taking the weapons and intelligence materials from the outpost, IDF forces destroyed and blew it up (IDF website, November 17, 2023).
An example of the scenario of taking over an IDF tank and abducting an IDF soldier, using a dummy model of an Israeli tank in one of the military exercises held by the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip before the war
(the joint operations room’s Telegram channel, December 29, 2020)
- A “source in the resistance” rejected the IDF Spokesperson’s statement, saying that the site was not used as a headquarters but only as a training center and that it was located in the northern Gaza Strip, outside a populated area. The “source” added that the “training compound” was evacuated at the beginning of the campaign, because in previous rounds of fighting it was attacked by IDF forces. According to him, the claims about the presence of a rocket manufacturing plant there were not true, and the rockets found by the IDF at the outpost were for training purposes, were empty, and did not contain explosives. The “source” also noted that there was an order to evacuate all “resistance” outposts issued by the commanders in any case of escalation, and that the outposts had already been empty of people and military equipment since the beginning of the war on October 7, 2023 (Arabi21, October 17, 2023).
Examples of weapons found at the outpost
- Badr 3 rocket: A surface-to-surface rocket first manufactured in Iran, it contains explosives weighing 250 kg and has a range of about 16 km. It was initially supplied to the PIJ by Iran and is currently manufactured in the Gaza Strip by the PIJ’s military-terrorist wing. The al-Quds Battalions first fired a rocket of this type at Israel on November 13, 2019 (in response to an IDF targeted killing operation)[1] towards the cities of Ashdod and Rehovot. Since then, the PIJ occasionally fired rockets of this type mainly at Tel Aviv. So far, there is no known use of the rocket during the current war.
Badr 3 rockets found at the outpost (IDF website, November 17, 2023)
Weapons found at the outpost. Right: Small arms. Left: RPG rocket with a tandem-charge warhead (IDF spokesperson, November 17, 2023)
Right: A rocket launcher found at the outpost. Left: Badr 3 rockets (IDF spokesperson, November 17, 2023)
Right (two photos): Rockets ready to be launched. Left: A truck carrying rockets (IDF spokesperson, November 17, 2023)
The outpost being destroyed by the IDF forces. The intensity of the blast indicates the presence of a large quantity of weapons at the outpost (IDF spokesperson, November 17, 2023)
[1] Targeted killing of Baha Abu al-Atta, commander of the northern brigade of the al-Quds Battalions, the PIJ's military-terrorist wing. In response, rockets were fired into Israeli territory for several days. ↑
