OVERVIEW: The Qassam 4 is an unguided, short-to-medium range, surface-to-surface artillery rocket developed for long-range area bombardment using a high-explosive warhead. It is the longest-range and most powerful version in the Qassam rocket series.

DETAILS: The Qassam 4 was developed by Hamas’ Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades after 2009 as an upgraded continuation of the indigenous Qassam rocket program. It features a larger steel body with improved solid propellant and a high-explosive warhead of approximately 20 kg. With a reported range of up to 20 kilometers or more, it maintains spin stabilization and lacks any guidance system. The rocket is manufactured using crude industrial methods in Gaza, using smuggled materials and adapted chemical components for explosive filling.

Compared to the Qassam 3, the Qassam 4 delivers greater range and a more powerful payload, expanding the threat radius to include cities like Ashdod and further inland. Its development marked the upper limit of Qassam-series rockets before operational reliance shifted toward more advanced systems like the M-75 or Iranian-supplied Fajr-5.

It is launched from improvised static launch rails or concealed ground-based platforms, typically pre-angled and aligned by hand. Operators evacuate the area rapidly after setup to avoid counterfire or aerial retaliation.

NOTE:
IOC: Circa 2009–2010
Operators: Palestine
Platforms: Ground-based improvised static launchers
Conflict used in: Israeli–Palestinian Conflict (2010–present)

SOURCE:
United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR): https://unidir.org ; Small Arms Survey: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org ; International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) ; Israeli Ministry of Defense Reports