Israeli officers acknowledge Hezbollah reorganized military infrastructure after ceasefire

The UK’s Financial Times reported that Hezbollah has increasingly targeted Israeli soldiers inside the “security zone” with unmanned aerial vehicles, demonstrating what the newspaper described as a notable operational capability.

The newspaper said Israeli military officers had also acknowledged that Hezbollah’s remaining military capabilities contradicted earlier assessments that the group had suffered an “overwhelming defeat.”

According to the Financial Times, General Rafi Milo, head of the Israeli military’s Northern Command, said: “There is a gap between how we ended the 2024 war, how we understood it and how we thought about it. Suddenly, we are still finding Hezbollah.”

The newspaper added that Lebanese and regional security and intelligence sources said Hezbollah had used the 15-month period between wars to “rebuild” and “reorganize.”

The report also cited assessments that Hezbollah viewed a new conflict as inevitable.

Sources said Hezbollah had expanded local drone production and manufactured thousands of UAVs. The report added: “Given these developments and Israel’s underestimation of the group’s remaining capabilities, Hezbollah was in an extremely favorable position to stage its comeback.”

Israel’s Maariv newspaper also reported that the “phenomenon of unmanned aerial vehicles” was causing growing concern within Israel’s security establishment and was no longer limited to the northern border.

In the same context, Israeli officers quoted by Haaretz said Hezbollah had reorganized its military capabilities and continued operations against the Israeli army despite the ceasefire.

The officers said active military infrastructure had been identified in southern Lebanon, including surveillance positions, explosive devices and anti-tank missiles.

The report also said a senior Israeli military officer had acknowledged that no effective solution had been found against drones.

The same officer said tests of a new interception system had ended in failure and that frustration within the military was mounting.