Hamas Unveils Locally-Made ‘Al-Ghoul’ Sniper Rifles, Shares Combat Footage

On December 20, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas Movement, unveiled a single-shot anti-materiel sniper rifle made locally in the Gaza Strip.

The rifle, which appears to be a copy of the Austrian Steyr HS .50, was named after Adnan al-Ghoul, a senior commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, who was assassinated by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Gaza in 2004.

Video footage released by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades showed how the rifles were manufactured then tested in Gaza.

Hamas was likely able to manufacture the rifle in Gaza with technical help from Iran who produces a copy of the HS .50 dubbed the AM-50 Sayyad.

Al-Ghoul sniper rifle is not however chambered in NATO’s .50 BMG caliber like the HS .50 or the AM-50 Sayyad. It apparently fires Soviet 12.7×108mm anti-materiel rifle cartridges similar to the Golan S-01, a modified version of the HS .50 made in Syria.

The rifle has already proven its worth in combat. The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades released video footage on December 21 showing an IDF officer being hit by the rifle while commanding a main battle tank in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.

Despite Israel’s strict blockade on Gaza, Hamas and other Palestinian armed factions in the Strip managed to build considerable military capabilities. The ability of these fractions to adopt and their creativity were key factors in the success of the October 7 surprise attack on Israel.

Even after large parts of Gaza have been occupied by the IDF, armed factions there continue to develop capabilities and tactics.

Source @South Front