Hamas 'tank' is for training, not combat

Mohammed Najib, Ramallah - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
07 February 2016


The 'tank' that featured in the parade was clearly moving on wheels rather than on its tracks. Source: Hamas source

The 'tank' that was unveiled by the armed wing of the Palestinian group Hamas on 31 January was widely ridiculed when it became apparent that it was moving on wheels, not its tracks.

Clearly an attempt to mock-up an Israeli Merkava main battle tank, the vehicle was displayed for the first time in the Gaza Strip during a memorial for seven fighters from the Izz-al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' armed wing, who died when a tunnel collapsed. Abu Obeideh, spokesman for the brigades, arrived on the tank to eulogise the dead men.

However, the vehicle is a training aid and not intended to be used in combat against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), according to Major Islam Shahwan, a senior Hamas security leader in Gaza.

"Izz al-Din al-Qassam has made three fixed Merkava tanks and one mobile one for training its fighters in combat," Maj Shahwan told IHS Jane's on 2 February. "Some of our fighters said they feared the huge scary sound of the Merkavas during the last war [in July-August 2014], which prevented them from carrying out their attacks against the Merkavas as scheduled, so we decided to train them and break the barrier of fear."


Mock-up of a Namer APC and a Merkava (background) seen at an undisclosed location in the Gaza Strip. (Hamas source)

The assertion that the 'tank' seen in the parade was built as part of a training programme rather than as a propaganda device was supported by photographs that a Hamas source passed to IHS Jane's showing a mock-up of a Merkava next to another of a Namer armoured personnel carrier (APC). The mock-ups include replica hatches so trainers can show how Israeli personnel exit their vehicles.

Maj Shahwan said the simulation tanks cost around USD15,000 to make and that their guns do not function. "Eighty percent of the tanks are homemade, while the rest are pieces from IDF vehicles damaged during the war," he said.