Israeli soldiers are using fishing nets to protect themselves from Hezbollah’s first-person-view (FPV) kamikaze drone attacks in Lebanon, according to a senior Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officer quoted by The War Zone on Monday. Due to a shortage of standard protective mesh, troops have been purchasing nets from fishermen in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee, as well as from coastal areas such as Acre and Haifa. The officer described the drone threat as a nightmare for field units.

The report notes that after widespread use of FPV drones in the Ukraine war, the IDF has adopted similar netting to shield vehicles and equipment from explosions. However, Hezbollah’s use of fiber-optic-controlled drones and thermal cameras has limited Israel’s electronic warfare capabilities and allowed nighttime strikes. The combination has immobilized Israeli forces along the border and inside Lebanon, preventing them from targeting Hezbollah’s logistics networks.

The situation has been further complicated by political pressure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for visible operations in southern Lebanon, while U.S. commitments have constrained military flexibility, creating what one officer called a “catch-22” scenario.