The IDF on Wednesday disclosed that suicide drones have become the dominant weapon killing Hamas fighters in Gaza, marking a revolution in modern warfare.

According to the IDF, the “Atalef” (bat) drone is now widely available across ground forces and no longer requires special air force support to deploy against Hamas. Military officials said the system has become central to combat operations, allowing small infantry units to carry out precision strikes that once required airpower.

The military said each platoon — typically a couple dozen soldiers — now has its own surveillance and intelligence drones, a major shift from prewar doctrine when drones were controlled almost exclusively at the battalion level and above. Before the conflict, drones were primarily an air force capability, often reserved for missions involving 250 or more troops.

Today, IDF platoons use small reconnaissance drones to enter buildings and search for booby traps or hidden tunnels, while others scan over hills or urban blocks to detect potential ambushes before soldiers advance.

The IDF said it has established 14 dedicated drone schools and is training some 20,000 soldiers to operate the systems, reflecting the rapid expansion of drone warfare in the military’s ground operations.

Officials said the development marks a turning point in how Israel fights Hamas, with lethal drones now as integral to small-unit tactics as rifles and armored vehicles. “The presence of suicide drones in the hands of ground forces is changing the battlefield in real time,” one officer said.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)