Hezbollah drones restrict 80% of Israeli military operations in Lebanon: Report

Drones used by the Hezbollah group are restricting nearly 80% of Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported Monday, noting the army is also facing shortages in equipment needed to counter the growing threat.

KAN said the Israeli military assessed that explosive-laden drones had sharply reduced the army’s operational freedom in southern Lebanon alongside casualties among troops.

According to the report, many military operations are no longer carried out during daylight hours because of concerns over drone attacks.

To counter the growing threat, anti-drone equipment is being distributed to only a limited number of soldiers in each company due to shortages, KAN said.

The broadcaster also cited sources in Israeli military intelligence as saying that Hezbollah had shifted in recent days from an organized command structure to a guerrilla-style approach.

The sources said the group had increasingly relied on smaller cells carrying out rapid attacks while moving between villages in southern Lebanon.

According to KAN, Hezbollah members were operating with greater independence, partly due to the killing of senior commanders from the Radwan Force.

Earlier Monday, Hezbollah said that it carried out 11 drone and missile attacks targeting Israeli troops and military vehicles in southern Lebanon and northern Israel, adding the attacks came in response to continued Israeli ceasefire violations.

Hezbollah drones have recently become a growing source of concern for Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describing them as a “major threat” and urging the military to find solutions.

*Writing by Tarek Chouiref