NEW: Israel bans fiber-optic and SIM-controlled drones from civilian airspace for six months amid escalating drone threats.

Defense Minister Katz is expected to sign the directive following Security Cabinet approval.

The ban specifically targets drones controlled via fiber-optic cables — which are immune to electronic jamming — and those operating over cellular networks via SIM cards.

The move comes after fiber-optic FPV drones, a tactic refined in Ukraine and adopted by Hezbollah, have proven extremely difficult to counter — flying too low for radar, resistant to jamming, and hard to intercept.

Concerns also extend to potential use from the West Bank or against senior officials.

Security forces and Civil Aviation Authority-approved operations are exempt.

The temporary ban aims to reduce the “noise” of civilian drones so hostile ones are easier to detect while longer-term countermeasures (lasers, AI targeting, kinetic interceptors) are developed.