The IDF believes that Hamas is operating fiber-optic drones in the Gaza Strip, similar to the drones Hezbollah uses to inflict casualties and injuries in the North, a Southern Command officer told Walla.
“We need to be prepared for a scenario involving the use of gliders (parachute drones) and rocket barrages,” the officer said.
He added, however, that at this stage, there is no assessment of escalation or any indication of immediate plans to use these weapons against Israel or IDF troops.
The army admitted that despite the time since Hamas’s October 7 massacre, and multiple efforts in Israel and abroad to counter the threat, there is still no complete solution for intercepting fiber-optic drones.
Closing the operational gap against these aircraft, which have a low radar and electronic signature, remains a major challenge.
Unlike drones that rely on wireless radio frequency transmission, fiber-optic drones trail a thin fiber-optic cable that transmits data and commands directly from the operator to the aircraft.
This gives them complete immunity to electronic warfare systems, allows HD-quality video transmission without delay, and enables precise strikes against concealed targets or those inside buildings, all without risk of signal disruption.
Military and security sources say that after a series of discussions in the Defense Ministry and the IDF, several technological solutions have been proposed to address the threat.
Above all, they emphasized that strict adherence to proper operational precautionary conduct in the field remains the first and most critical line of defense.
Hamas’s wave of attacks, including FPV drones, ‘blinded’ Gaza Division on Oct. 7
Walla has learned that even during Hamas’s first wave of attacks on the border on October 7, the group used fiber-optic drones to “blind” the sector and target observation systems.
Investigations found that Hamas smuggled the drones with assistance from Iran and Hezbollah, relying on training and knowledge provided by Hezbollah in Lebanon.
In the years leading up to the war, these drones were widely used in Syria and in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. While Israel’s defense establishment was aware of the developing threat, it was still caught off guard by the precise use of these tools.
