“Israeli” Assessment: Hezbollah’s Loitering Drones Have No Effective Countermeasure

By Staff

Yaniv Kubovich, military affairs correspondent for Haaretz, stressed that the threat posed by loitering drones over the battlefield in southern Lebanon has, in recent weeks, become one of the most significant challenges facing “Israeli” army forces.

According to Kubovich, in the past 24 hours alone, one “Israeli” was killed after being struck while operating a bulldozer, while his 19-year-old son, who was working with him, sustained minor injuries. The weapon in question is small, silent, and readily available, yet capable of disrupting routine military operations and creating a constant sense of exposure- especially given that the troops’ mission centers on demolishing homes in villages, often in open areas.

Kubovich believed that Hezbollah has drawn lessons from previous conflicts and identified vulnerabilities in “Israeli” forces deployed in combat zones. One key lesson now being applied is targeting fortifications and troop gathering areas using remotely operated suicide drones that wait for the right moment to strike.

One “Israeli” soldier described the situation: “They hover in the air or wait on rooftops. The moment there’s movement; they detonate over the troops. They’re extremely difficult to detect- small, silent, and fast.”

According to the Haaretz correspondent, Hezbollah is now using drones connected via fiber optics, giving them several advantages over “Israeli” detection and interception systems. These drones are silent and emit no signals, making them hard to detect or jam using existing electronic capabilities. They are small tools capable of reaching locations where fixed surveillance systems are difficult to deploy- on rooftops, between mountains, or inside dense urban areas. They also provide real-time imaging and intelligence-gathering, helping identify targets.

A complex threat

Kubovich noted that the “Israeli” army acknowledges the drones as a complex threat. A senior “Israeli” officer stationed in Lebanon said: “The drone threat has evolved. Over the past two months, we’ve been dealing with hundreds of them. Hezbollah ‘violated the agreement’ and assumed we wouldn’t respond, but for us, this is a threat that must be struck- even if it’s beyond the so-called ‘Yellow Line.’”

The correspondent also quoted an “Israeli” soldier on his third deployment to Lebanon since October 7, 2023: “The situation is worse than before. In previous rounds, the ‘Israeli’ army had freedom to operate and launch attacks anywhere in southern Lebanon.” He added, “It’s a very strange situation. Hezbollah is firing intensively, while we’re only allowed to open fire when there is a clear and immediate threat to our forces- and even then, the response must primarily rely on the units already in the field.”

A major challenge

A senior “Israeli” officer described the drone threat as “a very significant challenge,” explaining that there is currently no single solution that provides a full response. “Addressing it relies on a mix of operational discipline, improved detection and interception capabilities, and intelligence efforts to disrupt the drone deployment chain. However, there remains a clear gap between recognizing the threat and effectively responding to it.”

A Zionist field commander added: “The army’s solution is to assign a soldier to watch the sky. There is no real solution. By the time the drone arrives, it’s already too late.”

Every movement in open terrain is a risk

The correspondent stressed that “the threat is not theoretical, as evidenced by casualties among troops. In this reality, every movement in open terrain becomes a risk. As early as 2021, ‘Israel’s’ ‘state comptroller’ had warned that drones constitute an ‘evolving and significant threat,’ and that the ‘Israeli’ army lacked a comprehensive response. Follow-up reports found that preparations remained partial and that ‘defensive’ systems were not sufficiently deployed. Despite accumulated experience in various arenas—from Gaza to Ukraine—many soldiers still feel the gap between threat and response has yet to be closed.”

Amid the ongoing threat, criticism among soldiers and commanders in the “Israeli” army has intensified- not only over the lack of an effective response, but also over the nature of the mission itself. Testimonies from the field obtained by Haaretz indicate that a central part of operations in southern Lebanon focuses less on direct combat and more on the systematic demolition of buildings in villages.

One “Israeli” commander said: “The only mission is to keep destroying—there are no other tasks.” Another rejected the army’s claim that forces are targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in villages, stating: “These are not ‘terrorist’ infrastructures—they are demolishing everything.”

The “Israeli” army believes that systematically destroying Shiite villages will prevent residents from returning to their homes, referring to the plan as “Money Plow.” As part of it, each day a specific geographic zone is assigned to units in combat areas, where they are required to carry out demolitions. At the end of each day, commanders must submit reports detailing the number of homes destroyed.

According to soldiers and field commanders, the drone threat is greatest when forces are moving or operating in open areas. While fortifications and buildings where troops are stationed offer some protection—including nets designed to intercept drones before they penetrate a structure—most demolition work takes place in exposed terrain, leaving soldiers vulnerable.

“We stand exposed while securing demolitions with drones overhead”

An “Israeli” soldier in Lebanon said that troops have so far been tasked with securing demolition work carried out by civilian contractors using bulldozers and excavators in open areas. “We stand exposed, securing house demolitions while drones are in the sky. There’s no logic in this.”

Some soldiers also told Haaretz that civilian contractors receive bonuses based on the scale of destruction. “Companies profit based on the number of homes, and we’re there providing security- under threat of death,” one said.

Following the incident in which a bulldozer operator was killed yesterday, the “Israeli” army has reportedly decided to avoid using such machinery, while continuing demolitions—now using explosives instead.