Yasin (RPG)
Hamas-made anti-tank RPG derived from RPG-7.
The Yasin, also called Yassin or Al-Yassin, is a copy of the RPG-7 used as an anti-tank weapon. It is made by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, and was first used in 2004. The weapon gets its name from Sheikh Ahmed Yasin, Hamas’s spiritual leader, whom the Israel Defense Forces killed on March 22, 2004. While the al-Qassam Brigades are its main users, other Hamas groups in Gaza—such as the Executive Force and Naval Police—have also deployed it, along with fighters from Fatah and the PFLP.
The first version of the Yasin was aimed at armored vehicles but was mostly used against soft-skinned vehicles and people. Later models, like the Yasin 105, carry bigger warheads. The weapon was revealed on August 30, 2004, and was reportedly built by Hamas engineers from the Research and Industry Unit, led by Adnan al-Ghoul, who was killed by the IDF in Gaza on October 22, 2004. It was first used against Israeli soldiers and Palestinian police officers in 2004. After the 2006 Lebanon War, production sped up in preparation for a conflict with Israel. During the 2006 Gaza conflict, which began before the Lebanon War ended, it was reportedly fired at Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip and at Beit Lahiya. On August 14, 2007, Hamas said it fired a Yasin at an Israeli tank in Khan Yunis. In the 2008–09 Gaza War, Hamas Naval Police officers were reportedly trained to use it. By 2018, Israeli intelligence claimed that Yasin warheads were being turned into balloon-borne IEDs, since upgrades to Israeli military vehicle armor made them ineffective in their original role.
The Yasin’s design borrows from the RPG-2 and RPG-7. From the RPG-2, it takes the simple launcher tube, warhead shape, and rocket motor. From the RPG-7, it copies the improved warhead and the rear divergent nozzle, which deflects recoil from a rocket booster that extends the grenade’s range. The large cone at the back of the launcher is typical of the RPG-7. The weapon is reportedly built in small underground workshops, using an explosive filler of molten TNT and powdered ammonium nitrate. Its claimed effective range is 300 meters, but the Israeli Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC) puts it between 200 and 250 meters. It works better in urban combat, able to destroy brick walls and penetrate a 21 cm steel plate from 150 meters—close to the ITIC’s estimate of 200 mm (20 cm). On
- Type
- Anti-tank weapon derived from RPG-7
- First deployed
- 2004
- Unveiled
- August 30, 2004
- Effective range
- Claimed 300 meters; ITIC estimate 200–250 meters
- Warhead penetration
- 21 cm steel plate from 150 meters; ITIC estimate 200 mm
- Users
- Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas Executive Force, Naval Police, Fatah, PFLP
Lore & Background
The Yasin was unveiled on August 30, 2004, reportedly developed by Hamas engineers from the Research and Industry Unit, directed by Adnan al-Ghoul, who was killed in Gaza by the IDF on October 22, 2004. Its design was influenced by the RPG-2 and RPG-7, using the RPG-2's simple tube design and rocket motor, and the RPG-7's enhanced warhead and divergent nozzle to deflect recoil. The large cone at the back end of the launcher is typical of the RPG-7. The weapon is reported to be made in small underground workshops, with an explosive filler of molten TNT and powdered ammonium nitrate.
Reader's Guide
The Yasin represents a significant example of improvised weapons manufacturing by Palestinian militant groups, specifically Hamas, in the context of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Although intended as an anti-tank weapon, its first version was chiefly used against soft-skin vehicles and personnel. Later variants, such as the Yasin 105, featured larger warheads. Continued efforts to upgrade the RPG led to the development of the 'Tandem 85' rocket, using a tandem-charge system against reactive armor, and the 'Al-Yassin 105' rocket, first seen during the Gaza war. By 2018, Israeli intelligence claimed Yasin warheads were being converted into balloon-based IEDs, as improvements to Israeli military vehicle armor made them obsolete in their primary role. The weapon's production was accelerated after the 2006 Lebanon War in anticipation of armed conflict with Israel.
Did You Know?
- The Yasin was named after Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yasin, killed by the IDF on March 22, 2004.
- The first version of the Yasin was chiefly operated against soft-skin vehicles and personnel, not as an anti-tank weapon.
- In 2018, Israeli intelligence claimed Yasin warheads were being converted into balloon-based IEDs.
- The Yasin's design copies the RPG-2's simple tube and rocket motor and the RPG-7's enhanced warhead and divergent nozzle.
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