North Korea Possibly Involved in Hamas Attack on Israel: South Korean Military

There have been reports of Hamas using North Korean weapons, such as F-7 rocket-propelled grenades, in its large-scale attack on Israel.

People watch a television broadcast showing a file image of a North Korean rocket launch at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Aug. 24, 2023. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

North Korea may have been involved in the recent attack by Hamas terrorists against Israel, possibly through an arms trade and transfer of tactics and doctrine, the South Korean military said in an assessment.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in its interim evaluation of the Israel–Hamas war that North Korea appears to have a connection with Hamas and possibly contributed to its surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

“Our assessment of the situation has unveiled both direct and indirect ties between Hamas and North Korea, spanning various aspects, including arms trade, tactics, doctrine, and training,” South Korea’s JCS stated on Oct. 17, according to The Korea Herald.

“Hamas’s attack methods resemble the asymmetric attack pattern we anticipate from North Korea,” it stated. “Therefore, we presume that there is a possibility of North Korea transferring tactics and doctrine, as well as providing training support based on this observation.”

Fighters from the Hamas terrorist group use paragliders to train for landing in Israel in video footage released on Oct. 9, 2023. Reuters/Screenshot via NTD

Hamas reportedly used paragliders—a method previously used by North Korea—to breach the Gaza–Israel border during the attack. In December 2016, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided a paragliding exercise against a replica of South Korea’s presidential office, according to the report.

While there’s no evidence indicating a direct link between the North Korean regime and the Hamas terrorist group, South Korea’s JCS said that North Korea could have indirect exchanges with Hamas.

“North Korea has substantial and active interactions with several Middle Eastern countries and various armed groups that have close relationships with Hamas,” an official with South Korea’s JCS said in a closed-door briefing. These countries include Iran and Syria, the official said.

While South Korea’s JCS also found no concrete proof that North Korea had exported weapons to Hamas, the military officials found that there have been reports of Hamas using North Korean weapons, such as F-7 rocket-propelled grenades.

“These findings indicate an ongoing pattern of North Korea exporting various weapons to Middle Eastern countries and armed groups,” the South Korean military stated.

Self-proclaimed weapons researcher War Noir posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, photos of rockets and machine guns allegedly captured by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), saying that among the weapons displayed were North Korean-made F-17 HE-Frag rockets.

European researchers Joost Oliemans and Stijn Mitzer told Reuters that the F-7 is easily discernible from similar rocket-propelled grenades by the red band around the warhead. Such red bands are visible in photos shared by IDF and other social media accounts.

North Korean state media has previously denied allegations that Hamas was using its weapons, calling them “groundless” and “false rumor” spread by “reptile press bodies” and “quasi-experts” in the United States.

‘Hamas-Style Surprise Attack Tactics’

South Korea’s JCS said that it’s possible that North Korea could employ “Hamas-style surprise attack tactics” against South Korea despite the differences in battlefield situations.

“While North Korea’s situation, terrain, and conditions may differ, and their combat capabilities are not identical, the country can certainly gain valuable insights and lessons from what has transpired,” a senior official told The Korea Herald.

What the North Korean regime says is an intercontinental ballistic missile in a launching drill at the Pyongyang Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, on March 16, 2023. Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP

Since the beginning of 2022, North Korea has carried out more than 100 weapons tests, many of which have involved nuclear-capable missiles designed to strike the United States, South Korea, and Japan.

North Korea’s testing spree has forced the United States and South Korea to expand their drills, resume trilateral training involving Japan, and enhance “regular visibility” of U.S. strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula.

The growing military ties between North Korea and Russia have also sparked concerns. The U.S. Mission to the United Nations said that Russia has received more than 1,000 containers of munitions from North Korea “in recent weeks.”

Nuclear envoys from the United States, South Korea, and Japan held talks in Indonesia on Oct. 16 to discuss information sharing and response measures. They warned that North Korea would face “consequences” if it were to engage in military cooperation with Russia, according to South Korea’s foreign ministry.

U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Oct. 13 that North Korea is seeking advanced military technology from Russia in exchange for the deliveries.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.