AP and IDF reporting in January 2024 said Hamas weapons-production sites in central Gaza included mortar-shell manufacturing during the war; public sources did not identify the caliber, fuze, or standardized model.
Role detailsMunitions
Locally manufactured mortar projectile
Also known as
- Locally manufactured mortar shells
- Gaza-made mortar shells
- Hamas-made mortar shells
Locally manufactured mortar projectiles are Gaza-made mortar shells associated with Hamas wartime weapons-production sites rather than a published standardized ammunition model. AP and Israeli reporting in January 2024 described central Gaza facilities that manufactured mortar shells during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, while public sources left the caliber, fuze, unit cost, and design authority unidentified.
Role in Conflicts
Documented Production Context
January 2024 reporting tied Hamas mortar-shell production to central Gaza weapons-production sites. The sources support wartime manufacture and movement context, but not a standardized projectile designation.
| Evidence lane | Supported detail | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| AP central Gaza report | A weapons-production site in the Bureij urban refugee camp included facilities for mortar shells, rockets, explosives, and drones. | The report did not identify the mortar-shell caliber or fuze. |
| IDF Nuseirat report | The IDF said a central Gaza compound was used to manufacture mortar shells and contained weapons hidden in a humanitarian-organization building. | The source describes a production compound rather than a named ammunition model. |
| Mortar-ammunition background | U.S. Army mortar ammunition references place mortar rounds in 60 mm, 81 mm, and 120 mm families for indirect fire roles. | Those references support class context, not the exact Gaza-made projectile identity. |
Profile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- Gaza Strip, Palestinian territories
- Built by
- Hamas
- Type
- Mortar projectile
- Service note
- 2020s
- Designer
- Not publicly identified
- Designed
- Not publicly identified
- Unit cost
- Not publicly documented
- Produced
- Documented in January 2024 reporting; production period not publicly bounded
- Number built
- Not publicly documented
Specifications
- Caliber
- Not publicly identified
- Filling
- Not publicly specified
- Function
- Indirect fire
- Manufacture
- Locally assembled in Gaza workshops and production sites
- Identification limit
- Public reporting documents mortar-shell manufacture but not the projectile's exact caliber, fuze, filling, or model
Variants
Public reporting describes a local mortar-shell production category, not a named factory model or caliber series.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| Locally assembled mortar shells | Unidentified Gaza-made mortar-projectile form | AP and IDF reporting documented Hamas mortar-shell production in central Gaza but did not identify a standardized caliber, fuze, or model designation. Sources: AP Gaza weapons-production site, IDF Nuseirat mortar-shell compound |
Fired By Mortar Systems
Public reporting identifies this as a mortar shell rather than a standardized model, so the relationship is to the broader mortar class.
| Firing weapon | Weapon type | Firing evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Mortar class | The Army mortar-ammunition page groups mortar rounds as ammunition for mortar systems, matching this projectile's role as mortar-fired indirect-fire ammunition. Sources: Army Mortar Ammunition |
Ammunition Class Context
The record is narrower than the catalog's general mortar-shell page because the Gaza examples are documented by production context rather than by a published ammunition designation.
| Compatible item | Item type | Compatibility evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Unguided mortar-projectile class | The broader mortar-shell entry covers fin-stabilized unguided mortar projectiles and common 60 mm, 81 mm, and 120 mm families; this entry keeps the Gaza-made examples separate because the public sources do not identify their caliber or model. Sources: Army Mortar Ammunition, AP Gaza weapons-production site, IDF Nuseirat mortar-shell compound |
Timeline
Locally manufactured mortar projectile Key Events
AP reports mortar-shell manufacturing in central Gaza
AP said a central Gaza weapons-production site included mortar-shell manufacturing among its facilities.
Sources: AP Gaza weapons-production site
IDF says a central Gaza compound made mortar shells
The IDF said Hamas used a compound in central Gaza to manufacture mortar shells.
Sources: IDF Nuseirat mortar-shell compound
Media
Locally manufactured mortar projectile Videos
Locally manufactured mortar projectile Images
Related Weapon Systems
Sources
Army Mortar AmmunitionPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports mortar ammunition background for the 2023 Israel-Hamas War entry: high-explosive mortar rounds provide indirect fire, and U.S. mortar ammo is organized by 60mm, 81mm, and 120mm classes. | Accessed: 2026-07-01IDF Nuseirat mortar-shell compoundPublisher: Israel Defense Forces | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct conflict-use: Hamas used a compound in central Gaza to manufacture mortar shells. | Accessed: 2026-07-01AP Gaza weapons-production sitePublisher: Associated Press | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct conflict-use: Hamas used a central Gaza weapons-production site that included mortar-shell manufacturing. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia 81mm mortar roundsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image licensing and provenance page for a public-domain U.S. Army mortar-round illustration. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Wikimedia mortar round photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image licensing and provenance page for a CC BY-SA mortar-round photograph. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Wikimedia mortar shells photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image licensing and provenance page for a CC0 mortar-shell photograph. | Accessed: 2026-06-20