Report Warned of Hezbollah’s Explosive Drone Threat and Calls for Urgent Israeli Defense Overhaul

A report prepared in November 2024 by the Institute for Counter-Terrorism Policy at Reichman University, led by Dr. Uzi Landau, warned Israeli security forces about Hezbollah’s growing threat from explosive drones, particularly fiber-optic controlled models that have since caused Israeli soldier casualties along the northern border. The report, now published by N12, highlights that these small drones have become a significant challenge due to their low cost, difficulty to detect, and ability to operate in swarms, often connected by fiber optics which complicates jamming efforts.

The report stresses that Israel’s current defense systems are inadequate against the evolving multi-layered drone threat and warns that without substantial changes, the Israeli Defense Forces’ (IDF) protective capabilities could collapse. Dr. Landau emphasized that the conflict in Ukraine serves as a testing ground for drone warfare technologies, many of which are expected to reach the Middle East soon, including advanced Russian suicide drones like the Lancet, which Hezbollah is likely to acquire.

According to Israeli defense estimates cited in the report, Hezbollah operates about 100 specialized militants in southern Lebanon who have launched approximately 160 drones at IDF forces, with around 90 drones linked physically by fiber optics to their operators. The drones are used in coordinated attacks involving reconnaissance and explosive strikes, representing a new battlefield dynamic enhanced by artificial intelligence.

The report identifies critical gaps such as the difficulty in detecting small, low-flying drones, the high cost disparity between cheap drones and expensive interceptors, and the absence of a centralized body responsible for drone intelligence, procurement, and operational integration. It recommends establishing an emergency military-civilian task force led by a dedicated assistant defense minister with an independent budget to streamline rapid responses, bypass bureaucratic delays, and engage civilian industry and startups for quick solutions.

Professor Boaz Ganor, president of Reichman University and founder of the institute, stated that Israeli decision-makers could and should have anticipated the drone threat and adapted lessons from Ukraine earlier. The report calls for urgent organizational and resource allocation reforms, framing the drone threat as a state of emergency. It also references a prior institute report from six months before the October 7, 2023 attacks, which warned of a multi-front campaign that could surprise Israel and urged preparedness steps.