Israeli military outmaneuvered by Hezbollah's fiber-optic drones: Report

Israeli officials have acknowledged that Hezbollah’s rapidly advancing drone capabilities have caught the regime’s military off guard, as resistance fighters increasingly deploy hard-to-detect fiber-optic drones against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

According to Israeli military officials and analysts cited by The Washington Post, Hezbollah has been using inexpensive, “DIY-style” drones connected by ultra-thin fiber-optic cables rather than radio signals.

This technology allows the drones to evade Israeli electronic-warfare systems and bypass standard jamming methods used by the Israeli military.

Experts note that the drones have almost no radar signature because they contain minimal metal components and rely on optical-fiber communication instead of wireless transmissions.

Yehoshua Kalisky, a senior researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, said the weapons “pose a real danger and can be lethal.”

“You cannot intercept any data because everything remains within the fiber,” he added. Israeli officials have admitted that resistance fighters are now attempting coordinated swarm-style attacks using multiple drones equipped with small explosive payloads.

“Hezbollah is demonstrating advanced capabilities that, in my estimation, caught the IDF by surprise,” said Onn Fenig, the chief executive of a US–Israeli tech company, using the acronym for the Israeli regime's military.

“When equipped with a warhead,” he added, the drones can deliver a dramatic impact from a significant distance.”

Hezbollah leader says resistance drones are tightening noose on Israel

Sheikh Qassem praises resistance fighters for their retaliatory drone operations, stating the aircraft are closely monitoring all movements and have tightened the noose on Israeli forces.

Experts say the drones can maneuver through difficult terrain and strike targets from long range.

Israeli officials have also acknowledged that there is currently no single effective countermeasure against the weapon.

Posting a video on social media earlier this month, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had “ordered the establishment of a special project to thwart the drone threat,” but it “will take time.”

Hezbollah is increasingly relying on low-cost, locally manufactured drones “to overcome supply challenges,” according to a Hezbollah official who spoke to The Washington Post.

The Israeli military estimates that Hezbollah has roughly 100 drone operators across southern Lebanon.

In response to Israel’s continued violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon, Hezbollah has launched around 230 projectiles and more than 100 explosive drones at Israeli forces since April,  the Israeli military said.

At least six Israeli soldiers have been killed, four of them by drones.

Political analysts in Israel say the regime’s forces have become increasingly vulnerable in southern Lebanon.

Israeli troops were “sitting ducks” inside Lebanon while facing mounting resistance attacks, said Gayil Talshir, a political scientist at the Hebrew University of al-Quds.

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