Research: Hezbollah's Explosive Drones Could Cripple Israel's Defence Systems

A research report submitted to Israeli security agencies warns of the increasing threat posed by explosive drones used by Hezbollah.

The report estimates that these drones will become one of the greatest threats faced by the Israeli military on the northern border, even warning that existing defence systems could potentially collapse if fundamental changes are not made to handling strategies.

According to the report published by Israel’s Channel 12, as cited by Al Jazeera on Tuesday (30/06/2026), the study was prepared in November 2024 by a research centre under the Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) at Reichman University, Israel. The research was led by Dr Uzi Landau, the former director of the defence industry company Rafael.

The report states that over the past two years, small drones carrying explosives have evolved into one of the most dangerous threats to Israeli forces in southern Lebanon as well as within Israel’s domestic territory.

This is due to their low production costs, relatively easy manufacturing processes, difficulty in detection because they fly low, their ability to operate in swarms, and the fact that some utilise fibre-optic cables, making them extremely difficult to disrupt or disable through electronic warfare systems.

The report’s authors assess that the challenges currently facing the Israeli military are merely the beginning of a major shift in the world of drone technology.

Consequently, they are calling for Israel to begin preparing itself for the next generation of such threats.

According to the researchers, the defence methods currently employed by Israeli security agencies and the military are no longer adequate and will be unable to provide solutions in the future.