Profile
- Type
- 5.56×45mm NATO light machine gun
- Conflict side
- Israel
- Origin
- Israel
- Service note
- 2012-present
Infantry Weapons
IWI Negev NG5 light machine gun
The IWI Negev NG5 is Israel's 5.56×45mm NATO light machine gun, built for belt-fed squad automatic fire with magazine compatibility and a selective-fire layout. IWI markets the NG5 as IDF-battle-proven, and 2025 Gaza imagery from the Israel-Hamas War shows a Golani Brigade soldier firing an IMI Negev 5.
- Conflict side
- Israel
- Built by
- Israel Weapon Industries
- Built in
- Israel
Service History
- Used by
- Israel Defense Forces
- Wars
- Israel-Hamas War
Production History
- Built by
- Israel Weapon Industries
- Built in
- Israel
Specifications
- Caliber
- 5.56×45mm NATO
- Weight
- About 7.6 kg (weapon only)
- Barrel length
- 460 mm (18 in)
- Length
- 1,020 mm extended; 810 mm folded
- Feed
- Belt-fed with drum and STANAG magazine compatibility
- Rate of fire
- About 850-1,050 rounds per minute
- Operating system
- Gas-operated, open-bolt, selective-fire
Conflict Usage
- Israel-Hamas War
- Side: IsraelRole: Squad automatic fire support in Gaza
Used by IDF troops in the Israel-Hamas War; a 2025 IDF Telegram image from Gaza shows a Golani Brigade soldier firing an IMI Negev 5.
IWI Negev NG5 light machine gun Images
Related Weapon Systems
FN Minimi light machine gun5.56x45mm NATO light machine gunThe FN Minimi is a Belgian belt-fed light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale for squad automatic fire, with 5.56 mm NATO models widely fielded as national variants such as the U.S. M249, Canadian C9, and Australian F89. In the Yemen Civil War, Amnesty International reported Belgian Minimis deployed by The Giants Brigades, tying the weapon to UAE-backed coalition-aligned ground forces around the Hodeidah offensive.
IWI Negev NG7 general-purpose machine gunGeneral-purpose machine gunThe IWI Negev NG7 is Israel's 7.62×51mm general-purpose machine gun variant, built for belt-fed infantry fire support and shown in IDF Swords of Iron imagery during the Israel-Hamas War.
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M4/M4A1 carbineCarbineThe M4/M4A1 carbine is the U.S.-origin 5.56mm service rifle family that remained in Israeli infantry use and received wartime replenishment during the Israel-Hamas War.
MATADORDisposable shoulder-fired anti-armor recoilless weaponMATADOR, exported as RGW 90, is a 90 mm disposable recoilless launcher co-developed by German, Singaporean, and Israeli industry for short-range anti-armor and anti-structure work. Its confined-space firing and dual-purpose warhead made it useful in urban breaching and close-range strikes, with Germany-funded RGW 90 deliveries to Ukraine and Israeli use in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas War.
PKM/PK7.62 mm general-purpose machine gunThe PK and lighter PKM are Soviet-designed, belt-fed 7.62x54R general-purpose machine guns used from bipods, tripods, vehicles, and improvised mounts. Their low weight for the class, non-disintegrating belt feed, quick-change barrel concept, and wide Warsaw Pact distribution make the family a common infantry fire-support weapon in recent conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine War and the Israel-Hamas War.Sources
NEGEV NG5 5.56 NATO - Versatile & Light Machine Gun | IWI USPublisher: IWI US | Note: Supports manufacturer background and NG5 specifications including caliber, weight, barrel length, feed options, and selective-fire configuration. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:Operation Gideon's Chariots 11.webpPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports Israel-Hamas War direct conflict use by showing an IDF soldier from the Golani Brigade firing an IMI Negev 5 in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas War. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:IDF soldier carrying IWI Negev LMG.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a Commons-hosted IDF photograph of the Negev LMG. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:IMI-Negev-machine-gun-batey-haosef-2.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a Commons-hosted museum photograph of the Negev light machine gun. | Accessed: 2026-06-20