The brutal attack carried out by Hamas terrorists in Israel on October 7 was likely facilitated by North Korean weaponry, according to recent analyses and evidence, including a militant video and weapons seized by Israel.
North Korea has previously refuted claims of arms sales to the terrorist organization.
The F-7 rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-fired weapon typically used against armored vehicles, is one of the weapons used by Hamas that has sparked controversy. The use of this weapon by Hamas terrorists in a video has been validated through analysis by two experts on North Korean arms and South Korean military intelligence. The Associated Press also conducted an analysis of weapons captured on the battlefield.
These rocket launchers, which fire a single warhead and can be rapidly reloaded, are invaluable to smaller militias and guerrilla forces engaging in skirmishes against heavy vehicles.
"North Korean weapons in the hands of Hamas is not surprising," stated Matt Schroeder, a senior researcher with Small Arms Survey who authored a guide to Pyongyangs light weapons.
Hamas propaganda videos and photos have also displayed its fighters armed with North Korea's Bulsae guided anti-tank missile. According to N.R. Jenzen-Jones, a weapons expert and director of the consultancy Armament Research Services, Hamas has also utilized North Korea's Type 58 self-loading rifle, a variant of the Kalashnikov assault rifle. Jenzen-Jones based his assertions on imagery of the weapons used by Hamas terrorists.
"North Korea has a history of supporting Palestinian militant groups, and North Korean arms have been documented in interdicted supplies before," Jenzen-Jones informed The Associated Press.
The North Korean F-7 bears a resemblance to the widely distributed Soviet-era RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade, used by Russia, but with a few distinct differences, including a unique red stripe across its warhead. Schroeder noted that Hamas has released images of their training that show fighters armed with a rocket-propelled grenade featuring the red stripe, among other design elements that match the F-7.
The Israeli military, while showing journalists weapons seized from Hamas that included the red stripe and other design elements matching the F-7, declined to identify the origin and manufacturer of these rocket-propelled grenades, citing the ongoing conflict with Hamas.
The F-7 has been documented in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and the Gaza Strip, according to Jenzen-Jones.
Last week, Pyongyang dismissed allegations of supplying Hamas with its weapons as "a baseless and false rumor" orchestrated by the United States. North Korean international affairs commentator Ri Kwang-song, through the state-run KCNA news agency, accused the US of attempting to shift the blame for the Middle East crisis caused by its hegemonic policy onto a third country to evade international criticism.
In 2012, the United States detected a North Korean cargo plane reportedly carrying rockets and rocket-propelled grenades destined for Hamas.
North Korea has maintained diplomatic relations with Palestinian leaders since 1966. Last week, the White House reported that North Korea continues to supply conventional arms to Russia, following the delivery of over 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to resupply Russias military in its war with Ukraine.
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