Since Israel began repeatedly violating the fragile ceasefire that took effect on 17 April, a new phase of confrontation has taken hold in southern Lebanon, shaped less by large-scale offensives and more by a quiet but highly disruptive shift in battlefield tactics.
At the centre of this transformation is Hezbollah's growing use of fibre-optic guided drones, a weapon that has quickly evolved from a supplementary tool into a defining feature of the current fighting.
According to sources who spoke to The New Arab , Hezbollah has deployed Kamikaze drones guided via fibre-optic cables to strike Israeli troop gatherings, tanks, and artillery positions, framing these attacks as a response to ongoing Israeli violations and attempts to entrench forces in the south.
These drones, the sources said, now represent a "major operational challenge" for Israeli forces, particularly given their low cost, high precision, and resistance to interception. A battlefield shift driven by fibre-optic drones At the core of this shift lies a relatively simple but highly effective technological adaptation. Instead of relying on radio signals, which can be jammed, these drones are physically connected to their operators via thin fibre-optic cables that can extend for several kilometres.
This removes one of Israel's key battlefield advantages, rendering electronic warfare systems largely ineffective.
Sources close to Hezbollah told The New Arab that the group had "previously used drones in its battles against Israel, but today it has introduced very advanced technologies that are difficult to detect or uncover, and the [group] possesses many of them".
They added that "the aim of these drones, like many of Hezbollah's operations during the ceasefire period that Israel continues to violate, is to confront any attempt by Israel to establish itself on the ground or build infrastructure in border villages".
Lebanon-based military analyst Omar Maarabouni described the use of fibre-optic first-person-view (FPV) drones as a turning point rooted in lessons from previous confrontations.
"The biggest surprise came with the entry of FPV drones into the battlefield," he told The New Arab , adding that their deployment was the result of "drawing lessons from previous battles, particularly those of 2024".
According to Maarabouni, Hezbollah has shifted away from fixed frontline deployments to a more flexible model based on dispersed "combat nodes", making its presence harder to detect and target, and making drones central to how the group operates.
"These drones are likely to play a major role in preventing Israelis from establishing permanent positions inside Lebanon," he said, noting that even protective measures offer limited defence. "It is impossible to protect individuals moving in the field, even with iron cages or nets."
The drones' technical features reinforce this advantage. Maarabouni explains that they are "cheap, with some estimates putting the cost at no more than $500 per unit", while still capable of carrying between 1.5 and 3.5 kilograms of explosives, including anti-armour warheads. Their speed, he added, can reach between 150 and 185 kilometres per hour, allowing them to strike quickly and with precision.
Retired Lebanese brigadier general and military expert Bassam Yassin said the shift towards drones was driven by changing battlefield conditions, particularly the difficulty of targeting Israeli forces using traditional weapons.
"Israel has positioned its forces on mountain tops and in locations that give it visibility, while [Hezbollah fighters] cannot easily detect Israeli units inside what is known as the 'Yellow Zone'," he said, adding that this had reduced the effectiveness of anti-tank guided missiles that Hezbollah previously relied on.
"In the recent period, we have seen much less reliance on guided missiles such as Kornet and Almas, because there is no longer the ability to clearly identify and track Israeli units," he said.
"In some limited areas, such as parts of the eastern sector towards Taybeh, these missiles can still be used, but the intensity of artillery shelling, air strikes and constant surveillance makes it extremely dangerous for any unit attempting to deploy them."
Yassin added that drones have effectively replaced the need for elevated observation points, introducing a new dimension to battlefield targeting.
"These drones are remotely guided and can carry anti-armour payloads or explosives against personnel," he said. "Instead of relying on high ground to detect the enemy, these drones operate in the third dimension. They are equipped with cameras, allowing the operator to both conduct reconnaissance and guide the drone towards a specific target before striking." Israeli forces acknowledge defence gap Israeli military officials have acknowledged a widening gap between the growing drone threat and their ability to counter it. They have openly described the threat as a major operational challenge that requires rethinking how forces are deployed and protected. These admissions from within the Israeli security establishment suggest that this challenge was not adequately anticipated.
Israel's Army Radio reported on Tuesday that five Israeli soldiers had been killed and 33 others wounded since the ceasefire with Lebanon took effect, with the vast majority of casualties linked to explosive drones. Three of those killed were struck by drones, while 31 of the wounded were injured in such attacks.
On Thursday, the Israeli military said that a further eight soldiers had been injured over the past 24 hours by FPV drones in south Lebanon.
A senior Israeli source cited by Israeli broadcaster Kan last week acknowledged that explosive drones "constituted a major surprise on the battlefield, and we were not sufficiently prepared for them", adding that training to address the threat began only after fighting was already underway.
Other assessments have pointed to a longer-term failure, with Israeli security sources quoted by Haaretz newspaper as saying that the threat had been known for years, but that "the preparedness for it was insufficient, and now we are paying the price".
What is happening on the ground shows the scale of the problem, with Israeli soldiers describing drones that are difficult to detect until the final moments before impact, leaving little time to respond. This was seen in rare footage released by Israeli forces from 26 April in Taybeh, southern Lebanon, where a Hezbollah drone targeted a rescue helicopter as wounded soldiers were being loaded before take-off.
According to Israeli media reports, dozens of such drones are now being used weekly across different fronts, either as loitering munitions or direct explosive devices.
The psychological impact has also become increasingly evident, with reports from the field describing a constant sense of exposure, particularly in open areas where troops remain vulnerable. Hezbollah has amplified this effect by regularly releasing footage captured from the drones themselves, showing the final seconds before impact and reinforcing the perception of a persistent, unpredictable threat. Scrambling for solutions under pressure Faced with a rapidly evolving threat, Israel has begun deploying a range of countermeasures, though these efforts increasingly point to a reactive approach rather than a coherent solution.
Experimental systems have been introduced in southern Lebanon , including drone-based interceptors designed to capture incoming drones using nets. The Iron Drone Raider system, currently operating on a trial basis, has yet to demonstrate meaningful success. Earlier tests had already indicated limited effectiveness in detecting such drones.
Yassin said these systems are unlikely to deliver meaningful results, arguing that they are fundamentally mismatched with the nature of Hezbollah's drones.
"This new system involves launching drones carrying nets to fly over deployed forces and try to detect Hezbollah's drones coming from outside the 'Yellow Zone'," he said.
"In my view, it will be very difficult to detect Hezbollah’s drones because of their small size. They are made of fibre, so their radar signature is almost non-existent. And because they are guided via fibre-optic cables, not wirelessly, they are not exposed to jamming," he added.
"For all these reasons, I do not believe this system will be effective. Over time, it will become clear that it is extremely difficult, except by chance, to intercept any of Hezbollah’s drones."
Alongside experimental technologies, more basic measures are also being adopted, with units installing nets over positions and vehicles, while soldiers have been equipped with modified optics and, in some cases, weapons intended to improve their ability to hit small aerial targets.
Operational procedures have also been adjusted, including reducing the time helicopters spend on the ground during evacuations to minimise exposure.
Despite these efforts, the limitations remain clear, with one Israeli field commander cited by Haaretz acknowledging that there was "no real solution", and by the time a drone is detected, it is often already too late to prevent an attack.
Meanwhile, the United States has recently approved the sale of nearly $1bn in counter-drone systems to Israel, including thousands of precision-guided kits designed to intercept aerial threats. Yet these systems are not designed to counter small fibre-optic drones, which can evade both air defence systems and electronic countermeasures.
Although the impact of Hezbollah's drone campaign remains primarily tactical, its cumulative effect is significant as the drones complicate Israeli movement, increase the cost of holding territory, and introduce a constant element of uncertainty into operations.
Maarabouni argues that the consequences could be decisive in one key respect.
"While Israel is capable of advancing and occupying territory," he told The New Arab , "it is unlikely to be able to stabilise and hold the areas it enters under these conditions".
What is emerging in southern Lebanon is a broader pattern of adaptation and counter-adaptation, with Hezbollah applying lessons from previous conflicts to exploit the limitations of more advanced military systems, while Israel is forced to adjust in real time.
Yassin said this shift reflects a deeper transformation in how wars are fought.
"In 2006, Kornet missiles were Hezbollah's surprise in the war. Today, FPV drones are the surprise," he said. "Israel is now living with the constant concern of their presence and is searching for any method to counter them, but it will take a long time to reach an effective solution." Sarah Khalil is a senior journalist at The New Arab Rita El Jammal is a journalist and reporter for Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arab's Arabic-language sister publication Edited by Charlie Hoyle