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The Khaibar-1 (Arabic: خيبر-1) is a Syrian-made 302 mm artillery rocket used by Hezbollah against targets in northern Israel. The name of the rocket was first revealed on July 28, 2006 by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a speech on Al-Manar television station.
The Khaibar-1 is significant because the rocket has a 100 km range, longer than most of the Katyusha-type rockets in the Hezbollah rocket force. The rocket was first fired at the Israeli city of Afula, east of Haifa. In early August 2006, Khaibar-1 rockets were reported to hit Beit Shean, about 70 km south of the Lebanese border, Hadera, and Haifa, Israel's third-largest city. The expression 'Hai-bar' in Hebrew, which is pronounced in a similar way as Khaibar, means a breeding ground for animals. This resulted in many Israelis reacting to the name of the rocket with humor.
Origin of the name
Khaibar, also spelled Khaybar, is an oasis approximately 95 miles east of Medina, which was once the largest Jewish settlement in Arabia. The name was chosen as a reminder of the Battle of Khaybar, a battle that took place in 629 between Muhammed and his followers against the Jewish people who inhabited the settlement.