by Giuseppe Gagliano –
Hamas’ use of blocking techniques has significantly improved their ability to interfere with Israeli air strikes on Gaza. Israel’s military intelligence has observed an increase in GPS jamming both on their military jets as well as on commercial flights from Tel Aviv. GPS jamming systems, influenced by these techniques, also impact guided missiles.
Advisors from Iran’s Quds Force assisted Hamas in developing these capabilities, under the leadership of Asem Abu Rakba, an engineer with expertise in drones and jamming systems. His activities contributed to the overcoming of Israeli border defenses before he was killed in a night raid by Israel on 28 October.
Hamas had previously employed jamming technology only modestly, with APJ-16 GPS jammers acquired on the black market. However, the current devices in use by Hamas are believed to be more advanced, capable of jamming GPS signals at greater distances and over a wider range of frequencies, causing concern among Israeli intelligence about the possible implications for air security and the effectiveness of the Israeli air strikes.
