19,000 Rockets Launched at Israel Since Hamas’s October 7 Atrocities

Latest Developments

Hamas and other terrorist groups have launched more than 19,000 unguided rockets at Israel since the October 7 massacre in southern Israel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on June 10. “The projectiles were mostly fired from the Gaza Strip, although the portion of rocket attacks from Lebanon has been steadily growing in recent months. Thousands of those rockets have been intercepted by air defense,” The Times of Israel reported. The IDF data includes only projectiles that crossed into Israeli territory. On October 21, two weeks after Hamas launched its attack, the IDF noted that one in five Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad rockets are misfired, landing within Gaza. Hamas has also admitted that some of its rockets misfire.

The new data illustrates that rocket fire continues to terrorize Israel. In April, the IDF said that approximately 9,100 rockets crossed into Israel from Gaza and that approximately 3,100 rockets had crossed into Israel from Lebanon.

Expert Analysis

“Hamas began its war on Israel with an unprecedented barrage of thousands of rockets. Israel has been able to successfully intercept rockets and reduce the Hamas threat over eight months of war. However, the threat has now shifted, as Hezbollah is increasing its attacks using drones. This illustrates how Israel is forced to contend with a rapidly changing battlefield as it counters Iranian-backed terrorist threats.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow

“With the guidance of Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah have been able to develop significant arms manufacturing capabilities over the years. This effort has culminated in the current conflict, where their ability to produce and deploy weapons has made a tangible impact. The most striking example of this is the array of rockets and drones deployed by Hezbollah and Hamas against Israel.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

IDF Prepares to Defend Against ‘Swarms’ of Hezbollah Drones

The IDF is preparing to defend against “swarms” of Hezbollah drones, according to a new report from Israel’s Ynet News. “The recent demonstration of Hezbollah’s capabilities, which have intensified in recent weeks, still represents only a small fraction of the Iran-backed terror group’s aerial arsenal which the IDF believes to include an array of precision munitions supplied mainly by Iran over the past decade, or weapons that have undergone upgrade and modifications based on lessons learned in the conflict,” Ynet noted. The IDF also said on June 10 that Israeli air defenses have intercepted more than 150 drones throughout the Gaza war and corresponding fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border. Hezbollah has been intensifying its drone attacks on Israel.

Related Analysis

“Northern Israeli City of Nahariya Under Fire as Hezbollah Attacks Intensify,” FDD Flash Brief

“Hezbollah Attacks Israel With Drones and Rocket Salvo,” FDD Flash Brief

“Biden Administration Warns Israel Against War With Hezbollah,” FDD Flash Brief