Hezbollah Returns to Deterrence Equation Era as Drones Frustrate Israeli Commanders: Report

Hezbollah has successfully imposed a new and complex battlefield reality on the Israeli occupation army, thwarting its efforts to establish a lasting foothold in southern Lebanon through calculated and effective combat tactics, according to the Israeli newspaper Maariv. According to the report, “Hezbollah has returned to the era of deterrence equations,” adding that “Israel has effectively reverted to the pre–October 7, 2023 phase.” The newspaper also revealed that Israeli airstrikes inside Lebanese territory are being carried out with US approval. The following video shows the Islamic Resistance’s targeting of two Merkava tanks belonging to the Israeli enemy army in the town of Mays al-Jabal in southern Lebanon with loitering gliders pic.twitter.com/LBWkPwg5Xg— Al-Manar English (@manarenglish) April 27, 2026 Drones Frustrate Israeli Military Commanders Senior Israeli occupation military officials acknowledged that the army entered the war in Lebanon without sufficient tools to counter the threat posed by Hezbollah’s drones. Israel Army Radio cited sources saying that “field unit commanders are expressing deep frustration” over the operational reality, noting that the drone threat has become a daily challenge for Israeli occupation forces deployed in southern Lebanon amid ongoing attacks. The issue was reportedly discussed during a high-level military meeting at Ramat David yesterday. The commander of the 282nd Artillery Brigade told the station that “the drone threat represents a significant operational challenge we face, and we must rethink how to better organize ourselves to confront it.” Field soldiers and officers also admitted that available responses remain limited and improvised, despite attempts to develop on-the-ground solutions such as deploying protective netting at certain locations. The report added that this is not the first time the Israeli army has faced such a threat, stressing that preparations could have been made years earlier, especially given the growing use of drones in other conflict zones. However, internal assessments point to gaps in readiness, reflected in battlefield losses and repeated casualties among soldiers during ongoing operations in southern Lebanon. It further noted that Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir had reprimanded Air Force Commander Major General Tomer Bar about six months ago in a formal “command memo” over “the air force’s failure to address the drone threat.”