Hamas publicly unveiled and fired the Ayyash-250 during the May 2021 escalation, claiming a launch toward Ramon airport near Eilat; JISS later described the shot as a single Ayyash-250 that missed the airport and landed in the South Negev.
Artillery
Ayyash-250 long-range rocket
Also known as
- Ayyash rocket
- Ayyash 250
- Ayesh 250
The Ayyash-250 is a Gaza-produced, 250-kilometer-class unguided rocket publicly associated with Hamas and the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. It was unveiled in May 2021 with a claimed launch toward Ramon airport near Eilat, then reappeared in 2023 claims against northern Israel and Eilat, making it one of Hamas's longest-range publicly identified rockets despite limited public technical verification.
Role in Conflicts
Hamas fielded the Ayyash-250 during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War; the group claimed launches toward northern Israel on October 13, 2023, and toward Eilat on November 4, 2023, with Israeli and specialist reporting describing interceptions of the long-range rockets.
Role detailsProfile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- Gaza Strip / Palestinian territories
- Built by
- Al-Qassam Brigades
- Type
- Long-range unguided rocket
- Service note
- Contemporary
- Designer
- Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades engineering network
- Designed
- 2021
Specifications
- Range
- Claimed 250 km
- Guidance
- Unguided
- Propulsion
- Solid-propellant rocket
- Launch platform
- Ground-launched rocket launcher
- Warhead
- Reported large high-explosive payload; exact mass is not publicly verified
- Accuracy
- Low accuracy, consistent with Hamas long-range rocket reporting
- Designation meaning
- The 250 suffix reflects the claimed range in kilometres
Launch Platforms
Public launch footage and specialist analysis link the Ayyash-250 to a concealed rail or cradle launch arrangement, while leaving the exact emplacement design partly obscured.
| Launcher | Launcher type | Launch evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Fixed rail launcher | Open-source footage shows the Ayyash-250 prepared and launched from a concealed site; JISS describes a cradle that could be a launch rail and notes the launch mode is not fully visible. Sources: Hamas Fires Ayyash 250 (Dailymotion), Hamas Fires Ayyash 250 - Global Military Forum, Israel's Missile Defense Downs Hamas Long Range Rocket |
Timeline
Ayyash-250 long-range rocket Key Events
First public launch claim
Hamas released footage of the Ayyash 250 and claimed it had fired toward Ramon airport near Eilat, with reporting describing the rocket as the longest-range projectile it had yet launched into Israel.
Sources: Hamas publishes footage of long-range rocket that allegedly hit near Eilat, Israel's Missile Defense Downs Hamas Long Range Rocket
Claimed launch toward northern Israel
The Times of Israel reported Hamas claiming Ayyash 250 launches from Gaza at northern Israel, describing the rocket as carrying a 250-kilometer range claim.
Sources: Hamas claims to have fired on northern Israel, Israel's Missile Defense Downs Hamas Long Range Rocket
Claimed launch toward Eilat
The Times of Israel reported Hamas claiming an Ayyash 250 launch toward Eilat during the war, with footage showing a smoke trail that appeared to follow an interception.
Sources: Arrow defense system intercepts Hamas rocket fired at Eilat
Design Notes
Open-source reporting on the Ayyash-250 is strongest on its public rollout, claimed range, and launch claims. Public sources do not provide a complete technical teardown, so the record treats the launcher design, warhead mass, and exact performance as constrained by available evidence.
| Topic | Reader takeaway |
|---|---|
| Designation | The Ayyash/Ayesh name refers to Yahya Ayyash; specialist reporting describes the 250 suffix as Hamas range branding in kilometres. |
| Reach | The claimed 250 km range places the rocket in Hamas's longest publicly identified range class, but the sources do not independently verify a full technical range trial. |
| Launcher evidence | Public footage shows a cradle or rail-like launch arrangement; specialist analysis cautions that the exact launch mode is not fully visible. |
| Accuracy | Wilson Center reporting characterizes Hamas's long-range rockets as comparatively low-accuracy systems intended for area attack rather than precision strike. |
Media
Ayyash-250 long-range rocket Images
Related Weapon Systems
Sources
The Hamas attack and Israeli military optionsPublisher: International Institute for Strategic Studies | Note: Supports background on Hamas rocket production infrastructure in Gaza and the presence of unguided solid-propellant rockets with ranges up to 250 kilometres. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Hamas’ deadly weapons arsenal: An annotated lookPublisher: CNN | Note: Supports background that Hamas described local factories for rockets with ranges up to 250 km, relevant to the Ayyash-250's claimed local production context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Hamas publishes footage of long-range rocket that allegedly hit near EilatPublisher: The Times of Israel | Note: Supports 2021 Israel-Palestine Crisis fired by claim: Hamas released footage of the Ayyash-250 and claimed it was fired toward Ramon airport near Eilat on May 13, 2021. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Hamas claims to have fired on northern IsraelPublisher: The Times of Israel | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War used by claim: Hamas claimed the Ayyash-250 was used from the Gaza Strip in launches toward northern Israel on October 13, 2023, and described the rocket as having a 250-kilometer range. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Arrow defense system intercepts Hamas rocket fired at EilatPublisher: Jewish News Syndicate | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War fired by claim: Hamas fired an Ayyash-250 rocket from the Gaza Strip toward Eilat on November 4, 2023, with Israeli reporting that the projectile was intercepted. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Israel's Missile Defense Downs Hamas Long Range RocketPublisher: Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security | Note: Supports 2021 Israel-Palestine Crisis and 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct-use context for Ayesh/Ayyash-250 launches, plus background on designation meaning, launch footage limits, and David's Sling interception context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Iran's Rockets to Palestinian GroupsPublisher: Wilson Center | Note: Supports background and specifications context for the Ayyash-250 range class and the low-accuracy character of Hamas long-range rockets. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Hamas Fires Ayyash 250 (Dailymotion)Publisher: Dailymotion | Note: Supports the public video title, thumbnail, and the concealed launcher footage used to fire the Ayyash-250 from a hidden Gaza site. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Hamas Fires Ayyash 250 - Global Military ForumPublisher: YouTube | Note: Supports the video description stating that the Ayyash-250 was prepared and launched from a hidden site using a fixed rail launcher. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia rocket launcher photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing for the representative Gaza rocket-launcher photograph used in the gallery; the file is a Qassam-era launcher image, not an Ayyash-250-specific photo. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Qassam rocket photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a Qassam-family rocket photograph used as representative Hamas rocket imagery; it does not identify an Ayyash-250 specifically. | Accessed: 2026-07-01