2023 Israel-Hamas War

M109 in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War

Israeli M109 155 mm self-propelled howitzers were documented around Gaza and in later northern-front operations during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, with IDF artillery units using them for ground-force fire support, smoke, flares, and strikes on Hamas infrastructure.

Weapon profileM109
SideIsraelRoleFire Support
M109, 155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer family, Artillery - 2023 Israel-Hamas War
Image source: Armed Forces of Ukraine train with U.S. and Norway M109 howitzer

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
IDF M109 155 mm howitzers were positioned near Sderot shortly after the October 7 attack.

Sources: Amnesty Citizen Evidence Lab Israeli White Phosphorus Verification, VOA M109 Near Sderot

Israeli M109-equipped artillery units supported ground operations in Gaza.

Sources: Jerusalem Post 402nd Battalion Gaza Artillery, Times of Israel M109s Inside Gaza

The 411th Battalion crossed into Gaza with self-propelled M-109 howitzers for Shejaiya support, according to the IDF account reported by Times of Israel.

Sources: Times of Israel M109s Inside Gaza

The 405th Battalion used M109 howitzers later on the northern front after earlier fighting Hamas in Gaza.

Sources: Jerusalem Post 405th Battalion Northern Fire

Timeline

M109 In 2023 Israel-Hamas War

  1. M109s documented near Sderot

    Amnesty International's Citizen Evidence Lab verified photographs showing IDF M109 155 mm howitzers near Sderot with M825 and M825A1 white-phosphorus smoke shells.

    Sources: Amnesty Citizen Evidence Lab Israeli White Phosphorus Verification

  2. M109 photographed near Gaza border

    VOA published an image caption identifying an Israeli army M109 155 mm howitzer deployed near Sderot as Israel expanded ground operations in Gaza.

    Sources: VOA M109 Near Sderot

  3. 402nd Battalion supports Gaza advance

    The Jerusalem Post reported that the 402nd Battalion, using M109 self-propelled howitzers, supported the 162nd Division's advance in Gaza.

    Sources: Jerusalem Post 402nd Battalion Gaza Artillery

  4. M109s enter Gaza for Shejaiya support

    The Times of Israel reported an IDF statement that the 282nd Artillery Regiment's 411th Battalion crossed into Gaza with self-propelled M-109 howitzers to aid the 188th Armored Brigade in Shejaiya.

    Sources: Times of Israel M109s Inside Gaza

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

Israeli M109 use in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War is documented through verified imagery, battlefield reporting, and an IDF-reported Gaza deployment. Amnesty International's Citizen Evidence Lab verified photographs from October 9, 2023, placing IDF M109 155 mm howitzers next to Sderot, about one kilometer from the Gaza border, alongside M825 and M825A1 155 mm white-phosphorus smoke shells.

By November and December 2023, reporting from the Gaza border and an IDF statement described M109 units supporting ground operations. The Jerusalem Post reported that the 402nd Battalion, part of the 215th artillery brigade, used M109 self-propelled howitzers to support the 162nd Division's advance in Gaza. The Times of Israel, citing the IDF, reported that the 282nd Artillery Regiment's 411th Battalion crossed into Gaza with self-propelled M-109 howitzers to aid the 188th Armored Brigade in Shejaiya.

Sources: Amnesty Citizen Evidence Lab Israeli White Phosphorus Verification, Jerusalem Post 402nd Battalion Gaza Artillery, Times of Israel M109s Inside Gaza

Timeline

On October 9, 2023, verified photos placed IDF M109 155 mm howitzers near Sderot with white-phosphorus smoke rounds; Amnesty assessed that the northern half of Gaza was within the howitzers' range from that position. On October 27, VOA carried an image caption identifying an Israeli M109 155 mm howitzer deployed near Sderot as Israeli forces expanded ground operations.

In November 2023, battlefield reporting identified the 402nd Battalion's M109s as supporting the 162nd Division's advance in Gaza. In December 2023, the IDF said the 411th Battalion had crossed into Gaza with self-propelled M-109 howitzers to support operations in Shejaiya, including shelling Hamas infrastructure and deploying flares and smoke shells. By June 2024, the 405th Battalion's M109s were reported on the northern front after the battalion had spent the first months of the war fighting Hamas in Gaza.

Sources: Amnesty Citizen Evidence Lab Israeli White Phosphorus Verification, VOA M109 Near Sderot, Jerusalem Post 402nd Battalion Gaza Artillery, Times of Israel M109s Inside Gaza, Jerusalem Post 405th Battalion Northern Fire

Narrative

The M109's documented role was conventional 155 mm artillery support for Israeli ground maneuver. Sources distinguish several levels of evidence: verified positioning near the Gaza border in the opening week, reported battery-level support to divisions operating in Gaza, and an IDF-described crossing into Gaza by M109-equipped artillery troops during the Shejaiya fighting.

The available sources do not identify every M109 fire mission or tie each photographed shell to a named gun. They do, however, directly connect Israeli M109 units to the war's Gaza front and describe their use for supporting infantry, armor, and combat-engineering operations, including shells, flares, and smoke in support of ground forces.

Sources: Amnesty Citizen Evidence Lab Israeli White Phosphorus Verification, Jerusalem Post 402nd Battalion Gaza Artillery, Times of Israel M109s Inside Gaza, Jerusalem Post 405th Battalion Northern Fire

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Sources