Profile
- Type
- One-way attack UAV
- Conflict side
- Hamas
- Origin
- Gaza Strip, Palestinian territories
- Service note
- 2020s
Aircraft & UAVs
Zuwari explosive unmanned aircraft
The Zuwari explosive unmanned aircraft is Hamas's domestically produced fixed-wing kamikaze drone, named for Mohamed al-Zouari and documented striking Israeli observation towers and cameras during the Israel-Hamas War.
- Conflict side
- Hamas
- Built in
- Palestinian territories
Service History
- In service
- Fielded by Hamas by the October 7, 2023 attack
- Used by
- Hamas, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades
- Wars
- Israel-Hamas War
Production History
- Designer
- Mohamed Zouari
- Designed
- Early 2010s
- Built in
- Palestinian territories
Specifications
- Configuration
- Fixed-wing kamikaze-style UAV
- Payload
- Explosive charge
- Role
- Strike drone used against border surveillance positions
Conflict Usage
- Israel-Hamas War
- Side: HamasRole: One-way attack UAV
Used by Hamas in the Israel-Hamas War on October 7, 2023, to strike Israeli observation towers and knock out cameras.
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AP Hamas weapons investigationPublisher: Associated Press | Note: Supports Israel-Hamas War direct conflict-use; the article quotes an Israeli military official saying the Zuwari drone was used to strike Israeli observation towers and knock out cameras. | Accessed: 2026-06-20WIRED Hamas drone program analysisPublisher: WIRED | Note: Supports background and manufacturer context for Hamas's drone program under Mohamed Zouari and provides image provenance for the Getty photo of Hamas drones flying over Gaza City. | Accessed: 2026-06-20NPS low-cost UAS studyPublisher: Naval Postgraduate School | Note: Supports the al-Zuwari's description as a Hamas-produced kamikaze-style drone and its place in Hamas's domestically produced arsenal. | Accessed: 2026-06-20