2023 Israel-Hamas War

RPO-A Shmel in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War

Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigades claimed first use of an RPO-A Shmel in Gaza on December 27, 2023, saying the shoulder-fired anti-fortification rocket was fired at Israeli troops in a house in Jabalia.

Weapon profileRPO-A Shmel
SideHamas and Gaza-based armed groupsRoleFrontline AssaultFire SupportInsurgent / Guerrilla Use
RPO-A Shmel, Disposable shoulder-fired thermobaric rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons - 2023 Israel-Hamas War
Image source: File:RPO-A Missile and Launcher.jpg

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Al-Qassam Brigades claimed first RPO-A use in Gaza on December 27, 2023.

Sources: Al-Qassam Brigades Deploy Anti-Bunker Missile RPO-A, Al-Qassam Introduces Russian-Made Portable Rocket

The reported target was an Israeli force sheltering in a house in Jabalia al-Balad / Gaza Old Street.

Sources: Al-Qassam Brigades Deploy Anti-Bunker Missile RPO-A, Al-Qassam Introduces Russian-Made Portable Rocket

The RPO-A is a disposable thermobaric / fuel-air explosive rocket launcher suited to covered positions and anti-fortification use.

Sources: RPO-A "Schmel" Rocket-Propelled Flame-Thrower, RPO-A Shmel Russian 93mm Disposable Rocket Launcher

The public sources used here do not independently verify the casualty claim, transfer route, or quantity of RPO-A launchers in Gaza.

Sources: Al-Qassam Brigades Deploy Anti-Bunker Missile RPO-A, Al-Qassam Introduces Russian-Made Portable Rocket

Timeline

RPO-A Shmel In 2023 Israel-Hamas War

  1. Al-Qassam claims first RPO-A use in Jabalia

    Al-Qassam Brigades said its fighters used an RPO-A anti-bunker rocket for the first time against an Israeli force inside a house in Jabalia al-Balad, northern Gaza.

    Sources: Al-Qassam Brigades Deploy Anti-Bunker Missile RPO-A, Al-Qassam Introduces Russian-Made Portable Rocket

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The RPO-A Shmel is documented in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War through Al-Qassam Brigades' December 27, 2023 claim that its fighters used an RPO-A anti-bunker rocket for the first time in Gaza. Al Bawaba reported the claim the same day, saying the Hamas military wing stated that the weapon targeted an Israeli force sheltering in a house in the Jabalia al-Balad area.

Al Mayadeen also reported the Al-Qassam announcement, identifying the weapon as the Russian-made RPO-A Shmel and placing the target at a house on Gaza Old Street in Jabalia. Both reports attribute the strike and claimed casualties to Al-Qassam rather than to independent battlefield confirmation.

Sources: Al-Qassam Brigades Deploy Anti-Bunker Missile RPO-A, Al-Qassam Introduces Russian-Made Portable Rocket

Timeline

The public record supports one dated milestone: on December 27, 2023, Al-Qassam Brigades announced the RPO-A's first use in the Gaza fighting. The reported location was Jabalia al-Balad in northern Gaza, during Israeli ground operations in the enclave.

No public source checked for this record independently verifies the number of Israeli casualties claimed by Al-Qassam for the Jabalia house attack, so the detail page treats the casualty result as a group claim.

Sources: Al-Qassam Brigades Deploy Anti-Bunker Missile RPO-A, Al-Qassam Introduces Russian-Made Portable Rocket

Narrative

In this conflict, the documented role of the RPO-A Shmel is a close-range anti-fortification weapon used by Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigades against Israeli troops in urban terrain. The cited reports describe the December 2023 attack as directed at a force inside a house, matching the RPO-A's broader profile as a disposable thermobaric rocket launcher for covered positions and enclosed targets.

Modern Firearms describes the RPO-A as a Soviet/Russian single-shot disposable launcher adopted in 1988 with a thermobaric fuel-air explosive warhead, while the U.S. Army ODIN Worldwide Equipment Guide identifies it as a Russian 93 mm disposable rocket launcher. Those background sources support identification and role context, but the Gaza conflict-use claim rests on the December 27, 2023 reporting of Al-Qassam's statement.

Sources: Al-Qassam Brigades Deploy Anti-Bunker Missile RPO-A, Al-Qassam Introduces Russian-Made Portable Rocket, RPO-A "Schmel" Rocket-Propelled Flame-Thrower, RPO-A Shmel Russian 93mm Disposable Rocket Launcher

Evidence limits

The available direct sources establish a claimed Al-Qassam use of the RPO-A in Jabalia, not an independently verified battle-damage assessment. They do not document a transfer route, quantity held in Gaza, serial-numbered munition evidence, or repeated RPO-A use after the December 27, 2023 announcement.

Sources: Al-Qassam Brigades Deploy Anti-Bunker Missile RPO-A, Al-Qassam Introduces Russian-Made Portable Rocket

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Sources