Pyongyang’s Connection to the 2023 Israel–Hamas War
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaking during the Politburo meeting
Despite Pyongyang's denial that it supplies weapons to the Palestinian militant group Hamas, evidence from a video and weapons confiscated by Israel suggest that Hamas fighters used North Korean weapons during their October 7 attack on Israel. Hamas’ unexpected attack has revealed the Palestinian militant group's "direct and indirect links" with North Korea, and South Korean authorities have issued a warning that it is "highly likely" that the weapons used in the raid originated in Pyongyang and may have traveled through middlemen like Iran.
Hamas used anti-tank weapon F-7s, which appeared to be another name for North Korea's RPG-7 rockets, during the surprise assault on Israel. Additionally, multiple 122-millimeter rocket launcher shells discovered near the Israeli border reportedly bore the Korean language marking "Bang-122," indicating that the shells came from the North.
The information sheds light on the underworld of illicit weapons transfers that North Korea, which has been hit by sanctions, utilizes to finance its own conventional and nuclear weapons development.
Rocket-propelled grenade launchers are useful weapons for guerrilla troops in ongoing battles with heavy vehicles since they can be swiftly reloaded and fire a single warhead. According to weapons expert N.R. Jenzen-Jones, the director of the consulting firm Armament Research Services, F-7 has been used in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and the Gaza Strip. Professor Bruce Bechtol of Angelo State University in Texas, who has studied North Korea's arms shipments, says there have been rumors of Hamas operating the F-7 for several years.
A senior official at the military Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the JCS believed Hamas and North Korea were connected in various fields including arms deals, military tactics, and training on October 17. The official stated that “this suggests that North Korea continues to export various weapons to Middle Eastern countries and armed groups.” The hypothesis raises concern for South Korean authorities, as North Korea might employ similar tactics to attack South Korea.
South Korean leadership indicates that its military is ready to counter any threats from North Korea, which may be more potent than those that the Palestinian militant organization, Hamas, poses to Israel. The Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Kim Seung-kyum, discussed the conflict between Israel and Palestine during a parliamentary audit on Thursday, reporting, "The adversary that our military faces is not the same as Hamas'. We are keeping up our solid combat capabilities, which allow us to swiftly and fiercely respond to any provocation or enemy invasion right up until the very end.” The chief assessed that North Korea would act similarly to Hamas in the event that it launches a war in the future. The JCS clarified that it would bolster South Korea's three-axis defense system, which is intended to track, identify, and destroy ballistic missiles and WMDs belonging to adversaries.
Defense officials in South Korea are paying close attention to the Middle East crisis. “It looks like some of those rockets or at least some of those launchers were supplied to Hamas by the North Koreans back in 2014,” said Bechtol Jr.
The officials, however, did not say if North Korea supplied the rockets directly or via deals with other countries. Although there was no proof that the weapons were shipped straight from the North to Hamas, the official stated that it was "highly likely" that they did so via neighboring nations and other terrorist organizations.
After Hamas launched its major rocket attacks, Hezbollah, another Islamic militant organization with headquarters in southern Lebanon, praised Hamas and launched rockets at the Israeli border region. Israel and Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, traded missile fire. Analysts claim that rather than serving as a prelude to actual military action against Israel, Hezbollah's missile launches are a symbolic act intended to demonstrate the armed group's support for Hamas. Senior Research Analyst at the Korea Institute for Military Affairs Hong Sung-pyo said Seoul should keep a careful eye on North Korea's military relations with Hamas and Hezbollah because they could significantly impact South Korea's security.
On Friday, the Korean Central News Agency of North Korea accused the American media of circulating "a groundless and false rumor" about the weapons, denying that Hamas had deployed them against Israel. The officials also added that “It is nothing but a bid to shift the blame for the Middle East crisis caused by [the United States’] wrong hegemonic policy onto a third country and thus evade the international criticism focused on the empire of evil.”