Hezbollah’s cheap fibre-optic drones are creating new challenges for Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, forcing the military to adapt its tactics against an increasingly lethal threat.

The Israeli military – considered one of the most advanced in the world – has confirmed two soldiers and one civilian contractor killed in explosive drone attacks in under a week, with several others wounded despite a ceasefire in place since mid-April.

The devices are small, cheap and readily available, like “children’s toys”, explained Orna Mizrahi, a senior researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).

The military “does not have nowadays any response for that, because they didn’t prepare themselves for such low-tech explosives”, she said.

Israel has been fighting Lebanese Hezbollah since early March, deploying troops into the neighbouring country’s south to confront the Iran-backed militant group.

Since then, violence has continued, with both sides accusing each other of breaching the ceasefire.