5 Towns CentralNetanyahu Warns of Growing Drone Threat: “No Less Lethal” Than an F-35
By 5 Towns Central Staff
NEW YORK CITY (August 23, 2026)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that inexpensive drones could pose a deadly threat comparable to advanced fighter jets when armed and deployed in large numbers.
Speaking about the evolving battlefield threat, Netanyahu emphasized that drones are difficult to detect, highly accurate and capable of being used in coordinated swarms.
“Do you have a drone at home?” Netanyahu said, contrasting the small, inexpensive aircraft with an F-35. “It can be no less lethal.”
He said Israel has spent years developing defenses against the growing drone threat and remains a global leader in counter-drone technology. However, he stressed that the challenge extends far beyond Israel’s borders.
Netanyahu pointed to the use of drones in conflicts in Ukraine, Lebanon and Iran, warning that efforts are now underway to introduce the technology into Gaza as well.
He said he has directed Israel’s defense establishment and the IDF to take aggressive action against the threat, including targeting the drones themselves, their operators and the locations from which they are launched.
“We must do everything against this lethal tool,” Netanyahu said.