Until 2012, Hamas had never used the Iranian Fajr-5 rocket, a fairly sophisticated projectile by Hamas' standards. The group primarily employed Grad and Qassam rockets and derivatives of the Fajr-3, but these munitions could travel only some 45 kilometers (28 miles). So while Hamas could strike the cities of Ashdod and Beersheba, it could not strike as far as Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.
With a range of about 75 kilometers, the Fajr-5 can reach Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Dimona. That Hamas is able to hit Israel's major cities understandably concerns the Israelis; psychological warfare is actually the intent. Though very few deaths are reported from rocket attacks, the Fajr-5, unlike shorter-range rockets, disrupts economic activity because people must constantly seek shelter when rocket sirens sound.
Fajr-5s do not confer military superiority. In fact, they are not even precision weapons; they are meant to be fired as large volleys at a general area. How Hamas launches them — from improvised rails rather than integrated artillery systems — makes them even less accurate. The group often fires them without attaching a warhead, which sacrifices potency for range.
What differentiates the current rocket campaign from previous ones is Hamas' use of the Syrian Khaibar-1 rocket, which has a range up to 160 kilometers. With this rocket, which was fired from Gaza for the first time ever July 8, Hamas can nearly reach Haifa in northern Israel. However, it is even less accurate than the Fajr-5 because it depends on a cruder form of stabilization.
