Rockets? Missiles? Mortars? What's the difference? The IDF explains

Israel and the IDF have been subjected to multiple types of projectiles - especially rockets, missiles, and mortars - leading to a great deal of confusion as to what makes each unique.

According to the IDF, a missile is a projectile which not only burns while in flight but also has a guidance system which it can use to hone in on a given target mid-flight - much like an interceptor missile does to attack an offensive missile.

The IDF says that the large ballistic projectiles fired by Yemen every night at Israel are actually simple rockets, since they lack any honing or directional device to take them to their target beyond the positioning of the rocket before launch.

Mortars, which are often used against IDF soldiers and before the war - against checkpoints and border towns - are launched based on a primer that launches the mortar towards its target.