Israel’s recent airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs was aimed at dismantling Hezbollah’s growing domestic drone manufacturing capabilities, according to an Israeli media report. 

Citing Israeli intelligence sources, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Monday that Hezbollah has significantly ramped up its production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), shifting away from traditional reliance on rockets and missiles. The move comes amid disruptions in supply chains from Iran and growing inspiration drawn from drone warfare tactics seen in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

The Israeli daily emphasized that drones offer Hezbollah a faster, cheaper, and more flexible alternative to conventional weapons. Unlike precision-guided missiles, which are expensive and require complex infrastructure, drones can be assembled using commercially available civilian components, often ordered online. Their flight patterns are less predictable, and they can be launched from concealed areas such as ravines, thus making them more difficult for Israeli air defense systems to detect and intercept.

The newspaper said Hezbollah’s 2025 rehabilitation budget reflects this shift, with funds increasingly funneled into developing armed and reconnaissance drones rather than traditional missile systems.

“Hezbollah is clearly prioritizing UAVs, especially those capable of carrying explosives,” the report noted, citing Israeli military assessments.

An Israeli Air Force officer, speaking anonymously to Yedioth Ahronoth, said the sites targeted in the June 5 strikes on Beirut suburbs included underground workshops and storage facilities linked to Hezbollah’s UAV activities.

“We struck precisely, avoiding structural collapse in surrounding buildings,” the officer said. “This operation is part of a broader effort that began last year and led to the destruction of approximately 70% of Hezbollah’s drone stockpile.”

The officer added that Israel is committed to launching further strikes as more targets are identified.

“We won’t allow Hezbollah’s drone program to recover.”

Central to this drone initiative is Hezbollah’s Unit 127, a specialized aerial division established in 2012 by Hassan al-Laqis, a senior military figure assassinated near his Beirut residence in 2013. Israeli intelligence believes the unit is responsible for the planning, production, and deployment of UAVs, and has resumed operations following recent Israeli strikes.

Israeli military officials allege that Hezbollah, with financial backing and strategic guidance from Iran, is working to produce thousands of drones within Lebanon. The Israeli Army has framed this effort as a violation of post-2006 ceasefire understandings and a destabilizing force in an already fragile region.

Israeli Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar has reportedly convened frequent operational meetings to assess Hezbollah’s UAV progress and refine countermeasures. While Israel has introduced a new laser defense system that has intercepted roughly 40 Hezbollah drones, military officials warn that the Israeli defense system has yet to contend with a full-scale drone-and-rocket swarm from southern Lebanon.

“That’s why Israel continues to prioritize preemptive strikes,” Yedioth Ahronoth reported, underscoring growing concerns about Hezbollah’s increasingly autonomous and agile drone program.

As Hezbollah seeks greater self-reliance and reduces dependence on Iranian arms shipments, Israeli defense officials remain on high alert, the report noted.