Direct proof of use
The IWI Tavor/X95 rifle family appears in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War through Israeli military use in Gaza and later captured-rifle display by Hamas. Who Profits reported that IWI's Micro Tavor X95 rifles were used by the Israeli military in Gaza in October 2023, placing the X95 variant inside the opening Gaza ground-war period.
A second source lane documents Tavor rifles in Hamas hands during the January 2025 ceasefire and exchange period. Anadolu Agency reported from Gaza City on January 25, 2025, that Hamas fighters carried reportedly seized Israeli Tavor rifles while releasing four Israeli soldiers. That report supports possession and public display by Hamas in the same conflict, but it does not by itself establish when the rifles were seized or whether Hamas fired them.
Sources: Who Profits Gaza suppliers report, Anadolu Tavor hostage handover report
Timeline
The documented Israeli use begins in October 2023, when Who Profits identified Micro Tavor X95 rifles in Israeli military use in Gaza. The report placed the rifles alongside other IWI and Israeli infantry weapons used during the early months of Israel's Gaza campaign.
The next dated appearance in this record is January 25, 2025. Anadolu Agency reported that Hamas fighters at a Gaza City hostage handover carried Tavor rifles described as seized Israeli weapons, turning the rifle family into a visible captured-equipment symbol during the temporary ceasefire and exchange phase.
Sources: Who Profits Gaza suppliers report, Anadolu Tavor hostage handover report
Narrative
For Israel, the Tavor/X95 record is consistent with the rifle family's pre-war infantry role. The IDF described the 2009 Ground Forces decision to equip infantry fighters with Micro-Tavor rifles, and Israel's Ministry of Defense later said the Micro Tavor was in service with regular and reserve combat units and that a June 2024 order would supply additional Micro Tavors to the Nahal, Golani, and Givati infantry brigades.
In the Gaza war, the direct conflict-use claim is narrower than the general service history: Who Profits specifically identifies Israeli military use of Micro Tavor X95 rifles in Gaza in October 2023. The sources do not provide a public count of rifles used, a complete unit list, or a separate incident-by-incident firing record.
For Hamas and Gaza-based armed groups, the supported claim is captured-equipment possession and display. Anadolu's January 2025 report describes Hamas fighters carrying reportedly seized Israeli Tavor rifles during the release of four Israeli soldiers in Gaza City. That evidence supports the compact catalog row's captured-rifle-display role, while keeping operational use by Hamas separate from mere possession unless a more direct firing or deployment source is added later.
Sources: IDF technological powerhouse article, Israeli MoD Micro Tavor procurement, Who Profits Gaza suppliers report, Anadolu Tavor hostage handover report
