Direct proof of use
The strongest open-source record for the RPG-29 in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War documents fielding and recovery rather than a fully attributed named strike. FDD's Long War Journal reported on 15 October 2023 that the Israel Defense Forces had released photos and video of a Hamas weapons cache seized in Gaza that included RPG-29 shoulder-fired anti-tank rockets.
Ynet later reported that the RPG-29 was operational in Gaza, while describing Hamas's broader RPG use against tanks, armored personnel carriers, and buildings where Israeli soldiers were positioned. Israel Hayom separately reported that improved RPG-29 rockets were among standard weapons uncovered during the current combat effort and linked their arrival to long-running smuggling through the Philadelphi Corridor.
Sources: FDD Hamas Weapons Cache, Ynet Hamas RPG War Report, Israel Hayom Philadelphi Corridor
Timeline
On 15 October 2023, FDD's Long War Journal reported that IDF-released imagery from Gaza showed Hamas weapons including RPG-7 and RPG-29 anti-tank rockets.
In January 2024, Israeli reporting on a deadly central Gaza incident described Hamas RPG fire as a major threat to Israeli armor and troops in buildings, while Ynet identified the RPG-29 as an advanced anti-tank weapon operational in Gaza. On 1 February 2024, Israel Hayom reported that improved RPG-29 rockets had been uncovered during the current combat effort.
Sources: FDD Hamas Weapons Cache, Ynet Hamas RPG War Report, Israel Hayom Philadelphi Corridor
Narrative
In Gaza, the RPG-29 appears as part of Hamas and other Gaza-based armed groups' short-range anti-armor weapons mix. The available sources place it alongside more common RPG systems, including RPG-7 launchers, Hamas-produced Yassin-series rounds, and North Korean F-7 RPG rounds, rather than showing a large public record of individually verified RPG-29 shots.
The weapon's role was therefore close-range anti-armor and fortification attack potential inside the broader Gaza RPG threat. Ynet described Hamas RPG teams as frequently carrying standard launchers and using them against Israeli forces, while specifically noting that the RPG-29's large and heavy rocket made it harder to use and less suited to Hamas guerrilla tactics than lighter systems.
The sources support Hamas possession and fielding of the RPG-29 in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War. They do not establish a confirmed first RPG-29 firing date, the number of RPG-29 launchers or rockets in Gaza, or that every reported Hamas RPG attack on tanks and buildings used this specific weapon.
Sources: Ynet Hamas RPG War Report, FDD Hamas Weapons Cache, Israel Hayom Philadelphi Corridor, Times of Israel Central Gaza RPG Incident
