Drone warfare and diplomacy: Hezbollah-Israel tensions rise ahead of Washington talks

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

As efforts continue, particularly by the United States, to reach a long-term agreement between Lebanon and Israel, developments on the ground in both countries have accelerated in recent hours.

Hezbollah continued to target the Israeli military in southern Lebanon and also struck a base inside Israel, in what Israel described as an unprecedented escalation, not only in terms of the target but also the number of drones used in the attack and their operational pattern.

These developments coincided with announcements from security agencies indicating readiness to expand operations inside Lebanon, along with information suggesting that the Israeli army continues to operate north of the Litani River and has no plans to withdraw from there.

“The army is operating up to 10 kilometers forward, and the best defense is advance,” said the commander of the 91st Division, Yuval Gaz, describing the battlefield in the south amid concerns over Hezbollah’s drone capabilities, which security agencies are seeking to reduce. The drones are now being launched from distances exceeding 10 kilometers inside Lebanon.

These challenges form a central part of Israel’s proposals in the first round of direct talks at the level of delegation heads with Lebanon in Washington on Thursday and Friday. They include the disarmament of Hezbollah, rejection of any halt to strikes, and opposition to any future withdrawal from Lebanese territory unless it is, in Israeli terms, cleared of Hezbollah presence.

While the army confirmed it will continue intensifying strikes on Lebanon even during the negotiations, security agencies are also considering cooperation with Ukraine on counter-drone capabilities, with technology expected to arrive in the country in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, the army will have to continue addressing this threat using rudimentary means in the coming weeks.