section_path: Qassam Brigades (military wing)/Gaza forces, October 2023
section_name: Gaza forces, October 2023
paragraph_text: Gaza forces, October 2023
  
  During the Gaza war, the IDF published its intelligence about the Hamas military in the Strip. They put the strength of the Qassam Brigades there at the start of the war at 30,000 fighters, organised by area in five brigades, consisting in total of 24 battalions and c. 140 companies. Each regional brigade had a number of strongholds and outposts, and included specialised arrays for rocket firing, anti-tank missiles, air defenses, snipers, and engineering.