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NHK:

Roskin also said Hamas is capable of storing and shooting rockets and mortars from the underground, and there are underground holes that are concealed with remote-controlled covers.

I've seen some recent IDF footage showing underground rocket launching racks found in Gaza, but I've not seen any "remote-controlled covers". Is there visual evidence for the latter?

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  • I found evidence of covers and of remote controlled launchers, would that be enough for you, or do you require specifically remote controlled cover?
    – SIMEL
    Nov 12 at 13:39
  • @SIMEL: that they'd be fired from some distance can be seen in the video with all the wires. I wonder if the 'remote-controlled covers' is a mistranslation or something like that.
    – Fizz
    Nov 12 at 13:42
  • they are not just fired but controlled remotely. They are shown laying down and then put into firing position automatically. Another video shows a swiveling launch pad. There is also a photo of a launch pad with a cover attached to it, but it's only a photo, not a video so while probable that it is covered remotely operated, it's not beyond a shadow of a doubt.
    – SIMEL
    Nov 12 at 13:53
  • @SIMEL: those would be a little closer to the claim.
    – Fizz
    Nov 12 at 13:54
  • I have the feeling one could install/ rig a remote controlled garage door in a way to make it a remote-controlled cover for shooting rockets.
    – quarague
    Nov 15 at 18:20

1 Answer 1

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I couldn't find direct evidence of exactly what you are looking for, i.e. remotely controlled launch pods covers.

Nonetheless I was able to find evidence to all of the necessary components to build such a device: remotely controlled moving launch pads, and launch pads covers. It's not unthinkable that some exist that combine these together. And one picture of what seems to me as a remotely controlled moving launch pad with an attached cover, which would be exactly what is requested, but it's only a picture.

In this PIJ video (0:29 - 0:46)it shows long range rockets launch pads that lie on the ground and rise up automatically when it's time to fire. They are however without a cover, at least in the video.

And this Hindustan Times video (3:54 - 4:02) shows a missile system (out in the open) aiming itself and firing automatically.

There are evidence of using covers for launch pits, in this CBC news report at 6:21 can be shown what is clearly a mortar firing pit covered by a cover. Although it's not shown how it's opened or weather it's manual or automatic.

Mortar firing pit

And this On demand news video (0:56-0:59), reposting an RT video shows a cover in the field being opened, however we don't know it it'd being opened by hand or automatically (looks to me manually) and if it hides a launch pad underneath or a tunnel entrance.

Finally, in this Calcalist video two things can be seen. At 1:50-1:52 this dugout launch pad can be seen swiveling on its axis. But, from the video it's clear that it was covered by the camouflaged net seen in the video ant not a hard cover.

enter image description here

And immediately after it (1:52-1:53) appears a still picture of a launcher with what looks like a cover attached directly to it. But because it's only a still photo and not a video we can't say with absolute certainty that this launcher is remotely operated.

enter image description here

Both those fragments appear during a segment talking exactly about what is talked about in the source (translated from Hebrew by me):

There are long rage rockets, siting on an reusable adjustable launcher located inside the strip's tunnels

In conclusion I would say that the leap from what we have already seen clearly to exist to what is described in the source is very small and if Hamas or the other terror organizations in the Gaza strip want or think it's beneficial for them to have it, they can easily have it.

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