Hezbollah’s drone strike won’t deter Israel’s campaign

Last night, a single Hezbollah drone managed to inflict more damage on Israel than 200 Iranian ballistic missiles so far. A ‘swarm’ of drones launched by the Iran-backed terror organisation based in Lebanon exploded south of the northern city of Haifa, with one hitting the Binyamina military base, home to a training camp for the Israeli Defence Force’s (IDF) Golani Brigade.

Early reports indicate the drone was spotted by the Israeli airforce, but attempts to shoot it down failed. Sirens to warn those targeted also did not go off. As a result, it exploded, causing a reported 67 casualties according to Israeli media, four of whom have been killed and at least 12 badly wounded.

This was the single deadliest attack on Israel since 7 October. While Israel’s Iron Dome and Arrow systems are able to provide comprehensive anti-missile and rocket defences, drones pose a far greater challenge for the IDF.