Hezbollah fighters shoot down Israeli drone ‘waging attacks’ over southern Lebanon

The Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah has announced that it had shot down an Israeli drone.

The Hermes 450 drone was “waging its attacks on our steadfast people” in southern Lebanon, the militia said on Sunday. This is the third time Hezbollah has shot down a Hermes 450 since the outbreak of cross-border clashes with Israel in October.

The Hermes 450 is a multi-payload drone manufactured by Israel’s Elbit Systems. The drone is estimated to cost about $2 million.

“It’s a new achievement in the ongoing confrontation,” political analyst Kassem Kassir told The National.

The Israeli army yesterday confirmed that one of its drones was shot down by a surface-to-air missile over southern Lebanon, and that it responded with an air strike at the missile launch site.

Israel is one of the most prolific users of drones in the Middle East and a net exporter of the technology.

In the past eight years, Israel has exported drones worth $4.6 billion to countries such as Britain, India and Uganda.

On Sunday, war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said the “moment of truth” is approaching for Israel’s military response to Hezbollah.

“This is the operative front with the greatest and most urgent challenge, and this is how we must treat it,” he added.

Israel has repeatedly threatened a wider conflict unless Hezbollah withdraws from southern Lebanon, allowing tens of thousands of Israelis displaced by the clashes to return home.