Hezbollah FPV drone attacks pose ‘real danger’ beyond northern Israel, former IDF commander warns

Residents of northern Israel and Israeli combat soldiers are currently facing a serious first-person-view (FPV) drone threat from the Iranian-backed terrorist militia Hezbollah in Lebanon, a former IDF commander said in a Ynet News interview on Thursday.

The former commander of the Menashe Brigade, Col. (res.) Oren Zini, said it was only a matter of time before the Hezbollah drone threat eventually reached the densely populated central Israel. “Absolutely. There is no question at all,” Zini added.

“Anyone who is skeptical about this understands nothing about the Middle East, and therefore, there is one solution: presence – our forces inside the territory. Dismantling laboratories, capturing and arresting wanted suspects who are only talking about and planning to create such capabilities. And in Gaza and Lebanon, friends, there is no choice. We will not be able to create a bypass around Jericho. We must enter and defeat the enemy in both sectors,” the former commander explained.

Hezbollah drones have killed or wounded multiple Israeli soldiers over the past weeks of fighting in Lebanon.

While calling for an Israeli counteroffensive, Zini acknowledged that the current challenges are real and complex.

“This truly poses a real challenge to our forces. These explosives-laden drones – they appear out of nowhere, they surprise the forces. Let’s trust the Jewish mind, which will very quickly know how to provide a response to this, too, but unfortunately, at this stage, the prices are very heavy. We have lost quite a few soldiers, including the dear soldier last night in the Givati Brigade. Very heavy prices. I believe we will soon provide a solution to this as well.”

The former commander warned that tactics and weapons used in one conflict zone often spread to others, arguing that Israel’s security establishment has developed extensive experience adapting to evolving threats.

“We have a lot of experience with this. We always said that what happens in Lebanon – about a year, a year and a half later – becomes what is called the ‘Lebanonization of Gaza.’ As someone who fought all his years in the Strip and saw how the explosive devices from the north reached Gaza, I have no doubt this will also reach Gaza and Judea and Samaria. There is a tangible and real danger here, and therefore, our best minds will have to provide a response to it. That same response will also be used in the other sectors.”

The current round of fighting began in early March after Hezbollah launched attacks on northern Israel following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas have all repeatedly called for Israel’s destruction, while Iranian leaders and allied groups have for decades used slogans including “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”

Zini argued that Hezbollah and other hostile groups remain focused on harming Israeli forces and border communities, arguing that Israel must take greater responsibility for securing its borders and “defeat the enemy there” to prevent further attacks.

“The immediate threat is in the north,” he warned. “We see it every day with the FPV drones, and when they don’t hit our forces, they will hit our communities. The second nearby threat is, of course, in the Strip, where they are not laying down their weapons. They continue to build up their strength. But without a doubt, the existential threat is Iran."

He emphasized, "There must be no nuclear weapons or enriched uranium in that country."

It was reported earlier this month that the Israeli military plans to manufacture thousands of small suicide drones in its efforts to develop an effective response to the Hezbollah drone threat.