Conflict catalog

2008 Gaza War: Weapons and Equipment

December 2008-January 2009 fighting in and around the Gaza Strip, known in Israeli sources as Operation Cast Lead.

The 2008 Gaza War was a conflict between Israel and Hamas and other Gaza-based armed groups. It began with Israeli air operations on December 27, 2008, expanded into ground combat in Gaza, and ended with ceasefire steps in mid-January 2009.

This catalog tracks systems directly documented in the 2008 Gaza War, also known in Israeli sources as Operation Cast Lead.

Entries should be limited to source-backed launches, strikes, ground operations, captures, or support activity tied to the December 2008-January 2009 fighting.

14 weapon systems

Conflict Actors

Israel / Hamas and Gaza-based armed groups

Israel

13 weapon systems in this catalog

Context

Status
Published catalog
Location
Gaza Strip and Israel
Countries
Israel, Palestinian territories
Regions
Gaza Strip, Southern Israel
Domains
land, air, rocket attacks, urban warfare

This catalog is scoped to weapon systems directly tied to the December 2008-January 2009 fighting. MATADOR is represented through a source that documents Israeli Matador WB use during Operation Cast Lead.

Map

Gaza Strip and Israel

Open map

Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.

Weapons

2008 Gaza War Weapon Systems

Category

Aircraft & UAVs

Crewed aircraft, drones, and loitering munitions.

5/5
AH-64A Peten attack helicopter, Attack helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsAH-64A Peten attack helicopterAttack helicopterSide: IsraelRole: Attack-helicopter strike supportBuilt: McDonnell Douglas / United StatesThe AH-64A Peten is the Israeli Air Force's first-generation Apache attack helicopter, adapted from the U.S.-built AH-64A and kept in service alongside later Saraph aircraft. Israeli sources place the first Peten arrivals at Ramon Air Base in 1990, while open reporting documents Israeli Apache use in Lebanon, Gaza, and 190 Squadron response sorties during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.
AH-64D Saraph attack helicopter, Attack helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsAH-64D Saraph attack helicopterAttack helicopterSide: IsraelRole: Attack-helicopter fire support and strikeBuilt: Boeing / United StatesThe AH-64D Saraph is the Israeli Air Force name for the Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter, a twin-seat gunship built around a 30 mm cannon, Hellfire-class missiles, and long-range target sensors. Israeli and defense-industry sources document the Saraph in service from the 2006 Lebanon War through Gaza campaigns, while published photos also show Israeli aircraft carrying Spike NLOS missiles.
IAI Heron UAV, Medium-altitude long-endurance UAV, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsIAI Heron UAVMedium-altitude long-endurance UAVSide: IsraelRole: Drone reconnaissance and strike-support platformBuilt: Israel Aerospace Industries / IsraelThe IAI Heron is an Israeli medium-altitude long-endurance UAV family built for persistent ISR, target acquisition, maritime patrol, and multi-sensor surveillance missions. IAI describes Heron 1, known in Israeli service as Shoval, and Heron Mk II as SATCOM-capable MALE platforms with automatic taxi, takeoff, and landing, while conflict sourcing ties the family to Israeli operations in Gaza and Iran, Azerbaijani reconnaissance and targeting in Nagorno-Karabakh, and Indian Heron Mk II operations during Operation Sindoor.
Hermes 450 armed unmanned aircraft, Multi-role tactical UAS, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsHermes 450 armed unmanned aircraftMulti-role tactical UASSide: IsraelRole: UAV employment during Operation Cast LeadBuilt: Elbit Systems / IsraelElbit Systems' Hermes 450 is an Israeli tactical UAS, known in Israeli Air Force service as Zik or The Spark, that combines long-endurance ISR payloads, autonomous ground-station control, and armed configurations documented in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, while other sourced rows cover Azerbaijani fire-control missions in Nagorno-Karabakh and British H450 ISTAR support in Afghanistan.
IAI Heron TP, Strategic medium-altitude long-endurance UAV, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsIAI Heron TPStrategic medium-altitude long-endurance UAVSide: IsraelRole: Long-endurance ISR and combat-support UAVBuilt: Israel Aerospace Industries / IsraelThe IAI Heron TP is the large strategic member of Israel Aerospace Industries' Heron UAV family, known in Israeli Air Force service as Eitan. It is built for long-range, high-altitude intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, reconnaissance, and multi-payload missions, with official specifications listing a 5,670 kg maximum takeoff weight, more than 30 hours endurance, beyond-line-of-sight SATCOM operation, and payload capacity far above the smaller Heron 1. Conflict sourcing ties the type to Israeli Operation Cast Lead ISR, Iron Swords surveillance sorties, and Operation Rising Lion missions over Iran, while official German program sources document a customized German Heron TP configuration for Bundeswehr ISR service.

Category

Armored Vehicles

Troop carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and protected mobility.

3/3
Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer, Armored bulldozer, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesCaterpillar D9 armored bulldozerArmored bulldozerSide: IsraelRole: Armored combat-engineering bulldozerBuilt: Caterpillar / United StatesThe Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer is an IDF combat-engineering vehicle adapted from Caterpillar's large D9 dozer platform. Public reporting and NGO investigations document D9 use in Gaza conflicts from Operation Cast Lead through the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, where crewed and unmanned Panda conversions have supported route opening, obstacle removal, threat neutralization, and terrain shaping under fire.
Weaponized civilian bulldozer or front loader, Combat engineering bulldozer/front loader, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesWeaponized civilian bulldozer or front loaderCombat engineering bulldozer/front loaderSide: IsraelRole: Armored engineer advance and route clearanceBuilt: Caterpillar (base machines) / Israeli military and defense integrators / United States / IsraelWeaponized civilian bulldozers and front loaders are heavy construction machines adapted for combat engineering, barrier breaching, demolition, and protected route work. The Israeli Caterpillar D9 family is the best-documented armored example, appearing in Gaza operations in 2008, 2014, and 2023 and in the July 2023 Jenin operation, while Hamas-led attackers also used construction equipment for barrier breaching on October 7. Remote-control and autonomous conversions such as Panda and RobDozer reduce crew exposure during IED, obstacle, berm, and demolition tasks.

Category

Artillery

Tube artillery, rocket artillery, and long-range ground fires.

3/3
M485-series 155 mm illumination projectile, 155 mm illumination projectile, ArtilleryArtilleryM485-series 155 mm illumination projectile155 mm illumination projectileSide: IsraelRole: Battlefield illuminationBuilt: Pine Bluff Arsenal / Crane Army Ammunition Activity / United StatesThe M485-series 155 mm illumination projectile is a U.S.-origin visible-light artillery round that ejects a parachute flare to light battlefield areas for artillery observers and maneuver forces. Army sources describe the M485A2 as an updated visible-light round built through the Pine Bluff and Crane ammunition base, while conflict investigators documented M485A2-marked remnants in Gaza in 2009 and 2023.
M825A1 155 mm White-Phosphorus Smoke Projectile, 155 mm white-phosphorus smoke projectile, ArtilleryArtilleryM825A1 155 mm White-Phosphorus Smoke Projectile155 mm white-phosphorus smoke projectileSide: IsraelRole: Air-burst white-phosphorus artillery fireBuilt: Pine Bluff Arsenal / General Dynamics-Scranton AAP / United StatesThe M825A1 is a U.S. 155 mm separate-loading, base-ejection white-phosphorus smoke projectile introduced in March 1985 for screening and marking. Army material describes its 116 felt-wedge payload and 5-15 minute smoke-screen effect, while Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Thai PBS Verify document M825/M825A1-family combat use from Gaza to the Thailand-Cambodia border.
Qassam-series unguided rocket, Improvised short-range unguided rocket family, ArtilleryArtilleryQassam-series unguided rocketImprovised short-range unguided rocket familySide: Hamas and Gaza-based armed groupsRole: Short-range area rocket attacksBuilt: Hamas / Gaza Strip workshops (reported) / Palestinian territoriesThe Qassam-series rocket is a locally produced, unguided steel-tube artillery rocket family associated with Hamas's Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Introduced from Gaza during the Second Intifada, the family evolved from a 3-4 km Qassam-1 into longer-range improvised variants while remaining a low-cost area-fire weapon documented in repeated Gaza-Israel rocket wars.

Category

Infantry Weapons

Portable weapons used by soldiers and small units.

2/2
SPIKE anti-tank guided-missile family, Anti-tank guided missile family, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsSPIKE anti-tank guided-missile familyAnti-tank guided missile familySide: IsraelRole: Precision guided artillery strikeBuilt: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems / IsraelRafael's SPIKE family is a combat-proven electro-optical guided-missile line whose long-range NLOS branch is also known as Tamuz in Israeli service and Exactor in British service. The family spans infantry, vehicle, aircraft, and naval launchers, from compact short-range variants to Spike NLOS, which reaches 32 km from land or 50 km from the air and has documented use by Israeli, British, Azerbaijani, and U.S. forces.
MATADOR, Disposable shoulder-fired anti-armor recoilless weapon, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsMATADORDisposable shoulder-fired anti-armor recoilless weaponSide: IsraelRole: Wall-breaching anti-structure fireBuilt: Dynamit Nobel Defence / ST Engineering / Germany / SingaporeMATADOR, also marketed in the RGW 90 family, is a 90 mm disposable shoulder-fired recoilless weapon developed with Singaporean, German, and Israeli participation for anti-armor, breaching, and anti-structure missions. Singapore's version emphasized confined-space firing, a HEAT/HESH selectable effect, and wall-breaching performance for built-up areas, while Dynamit Nobel Defence's RGW 90 line includes dual-mode, anti-structure, long-range multipurpose, smoke, illumination, and training variants. The system is documented in Singapore service, in Israeli Matador WB use during the 2008 Gaza War, in German-funded RGW 90 deliveries to Ukraine, and in Israeli use during urban fighting in Gaza after October 2023.

Category

Munitions

Standalone missiles, bombs, rockets, torpedoes, and guided or unguided explosive payloads.

1/1
120 mm White Phosphorus Ammunition, 120 mm white phosphorus smoke ammunition, MunitionsMunitions120 mm White Phosphorus Ammunition120 mm white phosphorus smoke ammunitionSide: IsraelRole: White phosphorus mortar employmentBuilt: Various Soviet / Russian ammunition producers / American Ordnance / Soviet Union / Russia / United States120 mm white phosphorus ammunition is a smoke-obscurant mortar and gun-mortar round class rather than one single national model. Forecast International places white phosphorus in the 2A60 Nona 120 mm ammunition family, U.S. sources document M929-family WP smoke cartridges for M120/M121 mortars, and direct conflict sources record 120 mm WP rounds in Afghanistan and Gaza.

Conflict Sources

This conflict record is intentionally narrow. Weapon entries should cite system-specific sources before adding additional 2008 Gaza War usage rows.