The recent attacks carried out by Hezbollah drones in southern Lebanon opened a new door of concern within the Israeli military establishment, after the Israeli army began investigating the possibility that the party possesses capabilities that allow it to operate attack drones at night and target forces deployed in the field with greater precision.
According to a report by journalist Itay Blumenthal published by the Israeli Broadcasting Authority “Kan”, the Israeli army has been investigating during the last two weeks the possibility that Hezbollah has developed a new capability that allows the operation of explosive drones during the night hours.
Although Israeli military officials consider that possessing such a capability is a matter of time, they confirmed to the report that no evidence has yet been found indicating the use of thermal cameras or advanced night vision means in the drones that exploded during recent operations in southern Lebanon.
These fears came after a series of night attacks carried out by Hezbollah using explosive drones, which during recent days resulted in the killing of two Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, namely Sergeant Adam Tsarvati from the “Maglan” unit and Sergeant Michael Tyukin from the “Givati Reconnaissance.”
10 other Israeli soldiers were also injured as a result of similar attacks carried out during the hours of darkness, which prompted the Israeli army to intensify its examination of the technical capabilities used by Hezbollah in this field.
According to the results of the preliminary investigation into the incident in which Tyukin was killed, it was found that the moon was full that night, and that the area in which the soldier was stationed was illuminated, whether through fixed lighting or on the surrounding roads.
The report indicated that other drones launched by Hezbollah at night hit targets located in lighted areas or vehicles driving with their lights burning, which is currently prompting the Israeli army to study whether these injuries resulted from natural visibility conditions or from the party’s possession of additional night-time monitoring techniques.
In light of these facts, the Israeli army tightened its instructions to the forces operating inside Lebanese territory, especially with regard to movement and deployment during the night hours and reducing exposed lighting sources.
This Israeli investigation reflects the growing level of concern about the development of Hezbollah’s drone capabilities, as the party’s success in imposing an effective combat equation at night may add a new challenge to the Israeli forces deployed in southern Lebanon and increase the cost of the ongoing ground operations there.
