Ynet news reports how the document details how Hamas intended to develop motorized paragliders for stealthy infiltration and covert operations behind enemy lines. It also describes plans to camouflage military activities, reduce costs by integrating civilian and military uses, and leverage civilian engagement to support their military goals.
The Hamas document, originally in Arabic and translated into English, shows their aim to use paragliders both for military purposes and as a means to mislead Israeli defences. On October 7, Hamas operatives employed paragliders in their attack on Israeli communities. The IDF later reported that Asem Abu Raffa, the head of Hamas’s Aerial Unit and a key figure in this strategy, was killed in an airstrike.
"One of the solutions: Expose this pattern and work towards integrating it into society in a way that prevents the enemy from ending it. Create a reality that forces the enemy to accept it in some form," the document reads. According to the Hamas plan of action, the "steps" necessary to mainstream the paraglider array in Gaza involved several actions. "Conduct personal civilian experiments with paragliders, and publish them on social networks and in the global press. Work to attract the attention of adventurous young people to engage in such sports. Establish a special club for this sport in the Strip and encourage a spirit of competition to spread the sport more widely. Create groups and pages on social networks to showcase the beauty and fundamentals of this sport. The Ministry of Youth and Sports must support the sport. The sport should be connected to the global paragliding association, FAI."
Hamas terrorists infiltrated Kfar Aza on October 7 as part of the wide-scale massacre by foot, car, and paragliders. At the end of October last year, the IDF said they had killed the head of the Hamas Aerial Unit, Asem Abu Raffa, in an airstrike. Abu Raffa was known as the man responsible for the Hamas paragliding array. He took part in the terrorist attack on October 7, and directed the terrorists who infiltrated the Gaza border communities, as well as the drone attacks directed at the IDF outposts.