Ask Onix
Surge in drone attacks targets Israeli forces
Hezbollah has intensified its use of small, first-person view (FPV) drones against Israeli military positions, employing fiber-optic cables to bypass detection systems, according to geolocated footage analyzed by BBC Verify.
Verified strikes and casualties
Since March 26, BBC Verify has confirmed 35 videos shared by Hezbollah showing drone attacks on Israeli soldiers, armored vehicles, and air defense systems in southern Lebanon and northern Israel. Israeli media reports indicate the strikes have killed four IDF soldiers and one civilian, with dozens more injured.
One verified video from May 15 shows at least four FPV drones sequentially targeting an Israeli border outpost near Kiryat Shmona, damaging or destroying multiple military vehicles. Additional footage from April 26 documents strikes in Taybeh, Lebanon, including an attack on an IDF helicopter evacuating wounded troops.
Evasive technology outpaces countermeasures
Experts told BBC Verify that Israel's military has struggled to develop effective defenses against the drones, which are often controlled via fiber-optic cables rather than wireless signals. This method renders traditional electronic countermeasures, such as jamming, largely ineffective.
"The fiber-optics make Israel's capacity to detect, jam, and intercept these drones irrelevant," said Dr. Andreas Krieg, a security expert at King's College London. "Finding the operator becomes significantly more challenging."
Dr. Andreas Krieg, King's College London
Hisham Jaber, a former Lebanese army general, noted that the drones-undetectable by radar-have been used to disable armored vehicles, including tanks. Hezbollah's arsenal reportedly includes hundreds of such systems.
Low-cost, high-impact warfare
The drones are assembled from commercially available and 3D-printed components, costing between $300 and $500 each. Leone Hadavi, a weapons expert at the Centre for Information Resilience, said most carry RPG warheads, which are abundant in southern Lebanon.
"Tracing components is difficult because they are non-military and easily accessible," Hadavi added. "The psychological impact on Israeli troops is significant, especially given the drones' ability to threaten heavily protected vehicles."
Israeli response and broader conflict
The IDF acknowledged the drone threat, stating it is investing "significant resources" in improving defenses, refining alert systems, and training soldiers to enhance readiness. The Institute for National Security Studies noted that Israel has also used FPV drones for years, deploying them in southern Lebanon and Gaza.
The current escalation began on March 2, two days after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in Iran killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Hezbollah's subsequent rocket attacks prompted Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon.
Lebanon's health ministry reports at least 2,896 deaths since the conflict started, including over 400 since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in April. More than one million people have been displaced in Lebanon, while Israel reports 22 deaths-four soldiers and 18 civilians.
