South Korea confirms suspected use of North Korean weapons by Hamas
The rockets in question, identified as F-7s, are suspected to refer to the RPG-7, a high-explosive fragmentation rocket produced in North Korea
South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) has validated suspicions regarding the use of North Korean-made weapons by the Hamas terrorist group in its ongoing conflict with Israel.
Despite North Korea's persistent denial of arms transactions, the NIS has released a new photo supporting a Voice of America (VOA) report suggesting the use of an F-7 rocket-propelled grenade launcher manufactured in North Korea.
The VOA report, released last Friday, unveiled a photo featuring the fuse of an F-7 grenade launcher allegedly utilized by Hamas. The fuse displayed a combination of Korean characters and numbers, including "비저-7류" and "시8-80-53."
Confirming the assessment presented in the VOA report, the NIS corroborated its findings, affirming that the fuse with Korean characters corresponds to the mid-section of the North Korean-manufactured F-7 rocket.
While the agency acknowledged suspicions of North Korea's weapon supplies to Hamas, it cited challenges in providing detailed evidence due to the necessity of safeguarding information sources and considering diplomatic relations.
Previously, South Korea's military had hinted at potential links between North Korea and Hamas in arms trade and military fields. The intelligence service, in a parliamentary committee session last November, revealed insights suggesting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had instructed officials to devise measures for comprehensive assistance to Palestinians.
The rockets in question, identified as F-7s, are suspected to refer to the RPG-7, a high-explosive fragmentation rocket produced in North Korea, according to a military official.
North Korea has rejected claims of its weapons being used in attacks against Israel, dismissing such assertions as baseless allegations orchestrated by the United States.