Peloni: The threat of drone infiltration exists on all borders, making the need to solve this puzzle all the more immediate.
| Published: July 1, 2026
Concerns are growing among residents of communities near the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and parts of central Israel that the FPV drone threat seen in Lebanon could spread to their areas.
Hezbollah has increasingly used first-person-view (FPV) drones against IDF troops in southern Lebanon and communities along Israel’s northern border.
Security experts say areas near Palestinian Authority (PA)-controlled regions in Judea and Samaria could be particularly vulnerable, with some assessments suggesting even central Israel may be within range.
“We’ve already heard from the military that drones have been found in the West Bank, and when you look at what’s happening in Lebanon, you worry,” said Yuval, a resident of Kibbutz Eyal near northern Samaria, speaking to Ynet News.
The small drones, which are inexpensive, easy to operate and capable of carrying explosive payloads with precision, have also been widely used in the war in Ukraine and have caused casualties among Israeli troops in Lebanon.
Security experts say Israeli communities near the PA-administered areas of Judea and Samaria are highly vulnerable to such attacks and even Tel Aviv is within range.
Israeli security officials assess that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been smuggling FPV drones to Hezbollah in Lebanon and is attempting to replicate the effort with proxy forces in Judea and Samaria. While officials say success so far has been limited, the IDF has reported discovering and confiscating drones in the area as part of ongoing countermeasures.
Residents and regional officials, however, warn that the threat is evolving faster than current defenses.
“There won’t be a long evolution here,” said Oshrat Gani Gonen, head of the South Sharon Regional Council. “Some of them are manufacturing the drones themselves, and some are receiving them from Iran. This is also a real threat to Israel’s central cities. If a drone crosses the boundary line, it could reach Tel Aviv in six minutes.”
Gonen described the region as “the soft underbelly” of the country and called for expanded military protection, including radar systems, electronic detection and counter-drone technology. “There are no civilian solutions, so the military has to provide them.”
She said residents are pursuing a High Court petition seeking government funding of NIS 50 million ($17 million) for a regional security command center and defensive equipment.
“This is something we deal with every day, so we discussed how civilian authorities should respond,” added Yoav Saban, the Council’s security coordinator. “The drone threat exists across the entire sector. Every week, the military publishes the number of drones it has confiscated. It’s a real threat that must not catch us by surprise.”
Saban added that concerns extend beyond advanced FPV systems, warning that even commercial drones could be weaponized.
“A standard commercial drone can still drop a fragmentation grenade on a kindergarten, for example,” he warned. “The enemy is learning very quickly, and we need to be ready today. We need funding for detection systems so this entire sector is monitored, and for systems capable of bringing drones down. They need to be deployed along the seam line because we are the country’s front line.”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.