Hezbollah has increased its use of small first-person view (FPV) drones to attack Israel, including systems controlled by fibre-optic cables to evade sophisticated defences. BBC Verify has geolocated 35 videos shared by the Lebanese armed group since 26 March which show strikes on Israeli soldiers, armoured vehicles, and air defence systems in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
Experts told BBC Verify the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has 'so far been unable to develop any effective countermeasures,' as the small drones can easily bypass detection systems. The drones can also be made from commercially available and 3D-printed components, and are cheap compared to the high-value targets they can destroy.
The use of cheap FPV drones has become widespread during the Russia-Ukraine war and has changed modern warfare. While the Israeli military has not published all casualty details, Israeli media reports indicate four IDF soldiers and one civilian have been killed in FPV strikes, with dozens more injured.
The IDF told BBC Verify it recognises the threat from drones and is investing 'significant resources' in improving defences, developing 'more effective alert models' and training soldiers for 'improving readiness and increasing awareness of the threat.' According to the Institute for National Security Studies, the IDF has also been using FPV drones for several years, currently operating with them in southern Lebanon and against Hamas in Gaza.
Hisham Jaber, a military analyst and former Lebanese army general, said FPV drones are 'undetectable by radar' and the 'hundreds' of them at Hezbollah's disposal have been used to disable armoured vehicles - including tanks. BBC Verify has found videos of nearly 100 apparent FPV attacks shared on Hezbollah's Telegram channel since 26 March, 35 of which have been verified.
The escalation in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah started on 2 March, following U.S. and Israeli air strikes in Iran, which led Hezbollah to fire rockets into Israel. Since the conflict began, Lebanon's health ministry reports nearly 2,896 deaths, with over one million people displaced.
Experts told BBC Verify the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has 'so far been unable to develop any effective countermeasures,' as the small drones can easily bypass detection systems. The drones can also be made from commercially available and 3D-printed components, and are cheap compared to the high-value targets they can destroy.
The use of cheap FPV drones has become widespread during the Russia-Ukraine war and has changed modern warfare. While the Israeli military has not published all casualty details, Israeli media reports indicate four IDF soldiers and one civilian have been killed in FPV strikes, with dozens more injured.
The IDF told BBC Verify it recognises the threat from drones and is investing 'significant resources' in improving defences, developing 'more effective alert models' and training soldiers for 'improving readiness and increasing awareness of the threat.' According to the Institute for National Security Studies, the IDF has also been using FPV drones for several years, currently operating with them in southern Lebanon and against Hamas in Gaza.
Hisham Jaber, a military analyst and former Lebanese army general, said FPV drones are 'undetectable by radar' and the 'hundreds' of them at Hezbollah's disposal have been used to disable armoured vehicles - including tanks. BBC Verify has found videos of nearly 100 apparent FPV attacks shared on Hezbollah's Telegram channel since 26 March, 35 of which have been verified.
The escalation in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah started on 2 March, following U.S. and Israeli air strikes in Iran, which led Hezbollah to fire rockets into Israel. Since the conflict began, Lebanon's health ministry reports nearly 2,896 deaths, with over one million people displaced.
