by Israeli media reports said that Hezbollah has ramped up its domestic production of explosive-laden UAVs and attack or reconnaissance drones as an easier and cheaper alternative to precision missiles and rockets.
The Israeli news site Ynet reported on Tuesday that Hezbollah is looking to draw strategic insights from the use of drones in Ukraine, aiming to become more autonomous and reduce dependence on Iran.
Hezbollah has claimed that it is capable of producing its own drones.
The previous week, as Eid al-Adha was approaching, the Israeli military targeted multiple locations in Beirut’s southern districts, claiming these areas housed subterranean complexes utilized by Hezbollah for manufacturing drones.
The Israeli military stated in a release that Hezbollah is "engaged in producing thousands of drones with the support and funding from Iranian militant organizations."
The military statement indicated that Hezbollah has "frequently employed drones in assaults targeting the State of Israel" and is currently developing its drone manufacturing capabilities with an eye toward future conflicts.
Ynet reported that the strikes were authorized despite an ongoing discussion within the Israeli leadership.
A representative from Hezbollah refuted claims that the sites hit contained facilities for producing drones.
The Lebanese military stated that they attempted to persuade Israel not to execute the attacks and proposed allowing Lebanese authorities to conduct searches in the region using the procedure outlined in the cease-fire accord. However, the Israeli forces declined this suggestion; consequently, the Lebanese troops withdrew from the sites after being deployed there.
Hezbollah’s drone program
After Israel pulled out of southern Lebanon in 2000, Hezbollah started employing Iranian-built drones. They launched their initial surveillance Mirsad drone into Israeli airspace in 2004. The organization's drone initiative has been significantly aided by Iran, with reports suggesting that these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are likely put together by members of the militant group based in Lebanon.
During its conflict with Israel, Hezbollah deployed approximately 1,500 reconnaissance and combat drones.
In October 2024, an explosive-laden drone bypassed Israel’s sophisticated multi-layer defense systems and crashed into a dining area within a military training base far inside Israeli territory. This incident resulted in the death of four soldiers and injured many others.
Unmanned aerial vehicles are more difficult to spot and monitor compared to rockets or missiles.
Drones, also known as UAVs, are remote-controlled aerial vehicles without onboard human pilots. These devices can penetrate, monitor, and assault hostile territories with greater stealth compared to conventional missiles and rockets. Israel boasts an impressive array of such drones, designed for both reconnaissance and combat operations. The country has even created a model capable of traveling up to 1,500 kilometers to reach its primary adversary, Iran.
However, Israel has found itself unprepared for attacks by its adversaries multiple times throughout the last year, frequently resulting in fatal outcomes. In July, an unmanned aerial vehicle originating from Yemen covered approximately 270 kilometers, flying from the country's southernmost point right up to Tel Aviv, where it struck a structure in the city center, causing one death before being undetected.
There are several reasons why drones are more challenging to spot: They move at slower speeds and frequently incorporate plastic parts, resulting in a less pronounced thermal signature compared to robust rockets and missiles when detected by radar systems. Additionally, their trajectories are difficult to monitor. Drones may follow indirect routes, approach from various angles, stay close to the ground, and due to their significantly smaller size relative to rockets, they might easily be confused with birds.
Over several years, Israel concentrated on bolstering its air defense systems to enhance protection from rockets and missiles. However, drones did not rank high on their list of priorities.
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