Hezbollah Drone Attacks Delay Israeli Engineering Work in Southern Lebanon

Israeli military engineering officers, both reservists and active-duty, told Walla that Hezbollah’s drone assault on Sunday, which involved at least 10 drones, has slowed efforts to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon. One source said engineering vehicles in Lebanon are being used less because not all of them can be protected, and even when armor is available, it is only partial. He said crews are working on protection options.

The source added that engineering units have spent the past week trying to give troops greater freedom of movement. “We are netting whole streets to allow fighters to move from place to place without being threatened by drones,” he said, adding that there are also “other technological solutions” he could not discuss. He said warnings about drones have improved, but the limitations on protecting equipment remain a major problem.

Senior IDF officers said the army is now at a point where it could deepen ground operations, which would allow broader observation and firepower toward Nabatieh and the surrounding area. They said Nabatieh serves as a logistical and operational hub for Hezbollah, and that the group has built an economic center there for Shiites, with terror infrastructure both above and below ground that the IDF wants to destroy.

At the same time, the officers said it is still unclear what the next steps will be, partly because of the agreement between the United States and Iran, and the military is examining how much that deal may affect Israeli operational activity.