Before the war, drone use was largely limited to the air force or assigned at the battalion level, serving groups of roughly 250 soldiers.
By Lara Sukster Mosheyof, JFeed
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced this Wednesday that suicide drones are now responsible for the majority of Hamas casualties in Gaza, marking a major shift in battlefield strategy.
The drone, known as Atalef (Bat), is now fully integrated into ground forces operations.
Previously reliant on air force coordination, ground units can deploy the drones independently to target Hamas fighters.
In addition to offensive capabilities, IDF platoons, units of roughly two dozen soldiers, are now equipped with surveillance and intelligence-gathering drones.
Some drones are programmed to scout new structures for booby traps or hidden tunnels, while others monitor high ground to prevent ambushes before troops advance.
The IDF has also expanded training for drone operations, with 14 military schools now preparing 20,000 soldiers to operate the technology.
Before the war, drone use was largely limited to the air force or assigned at the battalion level, serving groups of roughly 250 soldiers.
Today, even small ground units have their own drones at hand, providing real-time intelligence and precision strike capabilities at the lowest levels.
This revolution in combat technology allows the IDF to move faster and strike more accurately, reducing risk to soldiers while maximizing impact on Hamas operations across Gaza.
