Southern Lebanon faces psychological warfare by Israeli drones
In the southern Lebanese village of Habboush, the sound of a child screaming for help was heard late at night.
Hashem, a paramedic in the village, heard the cries coming from an Israeli quadcopter hovering overhead.
He said the sounds were not an isolated incident but rather a sound pattern that continues to grow familiar to southern village residents.
“This is not the first time these drones have flown over us and broadcast different sounds,” Hashem said.
“Yesterday, it was the sound of children screaming and pleading for help. Before that, they broadcast the sound of an ambulance. Another time it was the Quran. Another time, it was the voice of a woman calling for help. We are living through this almost every day.”
Despite Israeli occupation and daily bombardment in south Lebanon, Israeli quadcopters are becoming a constant presence, affecting civilians who are staying sheltered at home.
Residents and first responders say that, beyond intimidation, Israeli forces use the distress sounds to lure people out of their homes or shelters, whether through fear, curiosity, or the instinct to help.
Roughly a month prior Israeli strikes occurred on May 2nd that targeted multiple areas across southern Lebanon, with one of the deadliest strikes hitting a residential building in the Nabatieh district.
Danger is prevalent and the use of sound places civilians in an impossible position where responding may mean walking directly into a trap, and not taking action could mean turning away from a genuine call for help.
Hashem said the first reaction to hearing such sounds is almost automatic.
“When you hear these voices in the silence of the night, your first instinct is to go outside and see what is happening,” he said. “That is what happened to me yesterday. But I quickly realised that it had to be coming from the drone, because it was impossible for there to be children in the village at that time, especially around midnight.”
He believes the aim is partly to spread fear among those who remain in the villages and to push them to leave after psychologically exhausting them.
The tactic of quadcopter usage is not new when considering Israel’s recent wars.
In Gaza, journalists, rights groups, and residents have all documented the usage of quadcopters using loud speakers to broadcast cries of help, notably in residential areas and refugee camps through the night.
Sound is becoming an extension of Israeli control: watching, projecting vulnerable voices, and forcing residents to question every sound and movement they encounter.
Middle East Eye and agencies, Maghrebi.org
Want to chase the pulse of North Africa?
Subscribe to receive our FREE weekly PDF magazine
