Located in the Upper Galilee, about ten miles east of the coastal city of Akko (known to ancient Greeks as Ptolemais and to Europeans as Acre), the fortress of Horvat Tefen dates to the 1st or 2nd century BCE. Excavations of the site began in 2019. Nathan Steinmeyer explains why archaeologists have connected it to the Hasmoneans—the dynasty that led the Maccabean revolt and included the last Jewish kings to rule the Land of Israel:

Horvat Tefen was located strategically along the border between the expanding Hasmonean kingdom and the independent Phoenician city-state of Akko-Ptolemais. During the reign of the Hasmonean king Alexander Yannai (r. 103–76 BCE), this region was a flashpoint between the two powers as Alexander Yannai sought to conquer the important coastal port. . . . Roi Sabar, director of the excavations, believes he has an answer to the mystery of who built the hilltop fortress.

While other scholars have suggested that Horvat Tefen was constructed by the people of Akko in the 2nd century BCE., Sabar . . . suggests that Horvat Tefen was a short-lived military fort constructed by Alexander Yannai after he failed to conquer Akko early in his reign. The fortress fell out of use shortly after the death of the Hasmonean king and was only reoccupied, for agricultural activity, in the Byzantine period (324–634 CE).

Although previous theories had suggested that the fortress was built in the 2nd century to defend Akko from enemies to the east, Sabar’s study presents a compelling alternative. Instead, he concludes that the fortress was constructed by the Hasmoneans as a way of keeping watch over Akko. The purpose of Horvat Tefen was likely both to threaten the city and to strengthen the Hasmonean border. The kingdom had grown rapidly during the Hasmonean period and, by the reign of Alexander Yannai, included most of the Galilee region.

On Tuesday, a Hizballah drone attack injured three people in northern Israel. The next day, another attack, targeting an IDF base, injured eighteen people, six of them seriously, in Arab al-Amshe, also in the north. This second attack involved the simultaneous use of drones carrying explosives and guided antitank missiles. In both cases, the defensive systems that performed so successfully last weekend failed to stop the drones and missiles. Ron Ben-Yishai has a straightforward explanation as to why: the Lebanon-backed terrorist group is getting better at evading Israel defenses. He explains the three basis systems used to pilot these unmanned aircraft, and their practical effects:

These systems allow drones to act similarly to fighter jets, using “dead zones”—areas not visible to radar or other optical detection—to approach targets. They fly low initially, then ascend just before crashing and detonating on the target. The terrain of southern Lebanon is particularly conducive to such attacks.

But this requires skills that the terror group has honed over months of fighting against Israel. The latest attacks involved a large drone capable of carrying over 50 kg (110 lbs.) of explosives. The terrorists have likely analyzed Israel’s alert and interception systems, recognizing that shooting down their drones requires early detection to allow sufficient time for launching interceptors.

The IDF tries to detect any incoming drones on its radar, as it had done prior to the war. Despite Hizballah’s learning curve, the IDF’s technological edge offers an advantage. However, the military must recognize that any measure it takes is quickly observed and analyzed, and even the most effective defenses can be incomplete. The terrain near the Lebanon-Israel border continues to pose a challenge, necessitating technological solutions and significant financial investment.