What are “Qassam rockets”, and why did Palestinians fire them at Israel?
“Qassams” are homemade rockets of various types. All are unguided, carry small warheads, and most have a very short range. Although they have certainly contributed to a sense of insecurity in Israeli towns bordering Gaza, since the first Qassam was launched in 2002, only about ten fatalities ensued in Israel. No Israeli fatalities have been registered since the disengagement, although some Israelis have been wounded. Israel’s decolonization of the Gaza Strip by no means ended its control over the Gaza Strip, and the daily life of Palestinians there has, in many ways, declined as a result of this control. Israel continues to hold more than 9,000 Palestinians in prisons in Israel, including hundreds of women and children. Many have never been tried, and some are held under indefinite “administrative detention”. Gaza Palestinians are glad that their lands are not being taken for Jewish-only settlements, but they are aware that Israel continues to expand its illegal colonies in the West Ba
