A report by The New York Times said that relentless drone attacks by Hezbollah “exposed cracks in Israel’s defenses,” shocked the Israeli public, and triggered an urgent search for solutions within Israel’s military and political leadership.
According to the NYT report, authored by Adam Rasgon and Natan Odenheimer, “multiple drones attack Israeli forces” each day, “and with lethal effect,” with three Israeli soldiers killed in the past week alone, underscoring the growing impact of Hezbollah’s drone campaign.
Hezbollah drone attacks sown fear among Israeli ground troops in Lebanon and challenged Israel’s long-standing air superiority over Lebanese skies, while also exposing weaknesses in Israel’s strategy to establish a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, the NYT added.
Citing Israeli officials, Rasgon and Odenheimer wrote that the drone threat was not unexpected. As early as 2024, officers reportedly warned that Hezbollah could deploy fiber-optic drones designed to evade electronic jamming, a technology already used in Ukraine.
“Two years ago, we discussed how Hezbollah would deploy these drones,” said Guy Hazut, an Israeli reserve brigadier general quoted in the NYT report. “But the security establishment needs a slap in the face to wake up.”
Despite those warnings, the NYT reported that the Israeli military “appeared to do little to prepare for the threat.” By April, when drone attacks intensified, the Israeli army had still not adopted countermeasures “that are routine in Ukraine,” such as protective nets over troops and equipment.
“Hezbollah, despite setbacks in previous conflict, has re-emerged as an active fighting force,” the NYT added.
Drone Strikes Videos
Despite Israeli operations, Hezbollah has continued drone attacks on Israeli forces, killing at least ten soldiers and one ‘civilian’ since April, the NYT report said, pointing to 30 videos released by Hezbollah alone showing drone strikes.
“In one video, recorded on May 9, a drone approaches a military post in Shlomi, a town in northern Israel, and a soldier runs as fast as he can toward a fortified room. The drone crashes just as he reaches the entrance to the room. The video cuts off the moment the drone crashes, leaving it unclear whether the soldier was harmed,” the NYT said referring to a video released by Hezbollah Military Media earlier last month, showing a drone strike, dated May 5, at the newly established Israeli position of Nemr Al-Jamal, opposite the southern Lebanese border town of Alma Al-Shaab.
“This challenge has started to shake the occupation army,” Hasan Hejazi, the NYT cited remarks by Al-Manar’s Hebrew affairs editor.
In response, the Israeli military said it takes the drone threat “very seriously” and is working on solutions to what it called “a complex technological and operational challenge,” according to the report.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the creation of a special expert team to address the issue, saying: “You have an unlimited budget… However much it costs, it costs.”
The NYT report explained that Hezbollah’s shift to fiber-optic drones, which are immune to electronic jamming, has significantly complicated Israeli defenses. The drones are controlled via cables that unwind during flight, leaving troops with minimal reaction time before impact.
Experts quoted by Rasgon and Odenheimer warned that future threats may include drones using cellular networks, enabling long-range strikes similar to tactics already seen in Ukraine.
“We can’t wait to find a solution to this threat,” said Guy Hazut in the NYT report. “We must act now.”
While some former Israeli officials argue the drones remain a tactical rather than strategic threat, they acknowledge their psychological and operational impact on Israeli troops on the ground, by saying: “They won’t defeat us, but they can harm our morale.”
Source: NYT (edited by Al-Manar English Website)