Introduction
Several lessons can be extracted from the military operations conducted during the war on Gaza. The significant escalation in the use of drones by various factions has made them a central component of both state and non-state actors’ military strategies. Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), offer these actors the ability to carry out different operations without the need for direct human presence, subsequently buying down the risk of one’s forces.
In the Gaza conflict, state actors like Israel and Iran have leveraged advanced drone technology extensively. Meanwhile, non-state actors such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis have also employed drones to strike Israeli positions and disrupt military operations. This makes the Gaza war a unique turning point, where for the first time in history, such a wide range of actors are deploying drones in conflict. While ISIS has been deemed a pioneer in the mass-weaponization of commercial drones and the war in Ukraine has long been considered a defining drone battleground, the Gaza war introduces new dimensions, given the diverse range of participants, the variety of drones being used (both commercial and advanced military drones), and their strategic applications.
This paper seeks to explore the combat effectiveness of drones in the ongoing Gaza war by examining their role, types, operations, and the broader strategic implications. Specifically, it addresses the following questions: How effective are drones in combat? What role do they play in the ongoing war? How have they influenced the future of the Palestine-Israeli conflict and the rules of engagement in the region?
