According to international security policy analyses and mainstream Israeli media reports, the military operations underway in southern Lebanon are presenting the Israeli military leadership with serious strategic dilemmas. While government communications emphasize the dismantling of Hezbollah\u2019s infrastructure, internal criticism from Israel\u2019s academic and security elite suggests that the current form of warfare is misguided.<\/p>\n
Eyal Zisser<\/b> professor, vice president of Tel Aviv University, and renowned historian of the Middle East in Israel 103FM<\/i> In a radio interview, he sharply criticized the army\u2019s actions. According to Zisser, Israel is \u201emaking every possible strategic mistake\u201d in Lebanon, particularly with regard to the military pressure being exerted on the civilian population.<\/p>\n
The professor pointed out that attacks on Shia civilians and the destruction of residential areas do not cause any significant damage to Hezbollah\u2019s operational capabilities; on the contrary, they maximize the organization\u2019s public support. \u201eThis only reinforces the message that \u2019we, Hezbollah, are eternal victims,\u2019 strengthens solidarity, and mobilizes support\u201d<\/i> \u2013 said Zisser, who believes that this flawed political mechanism was also at play in the case of the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\nThe Two-Kilometer Band Trap and Asymmetric Losses<\/h2>\n
Based on the military assessment, Israel has stumbled into a protracted, attritional war. IDF units are operating just a few kilometers behind the border and the line of contact, which in modern asymmetric warfare (where inexpensive unmanned aerial vehicles, i.e., drones, are capable of destroying even heavily armored Merkava tanks) results in continuous and unsustainable personnel losses.<\/p>\n
According to Professor Zisser, under the current strategy, maintaining a physical presence in southern Lebanon makes no military sense, and \u201edeceptive ceasefires\u201d based on partial gains merely buy Iran and Hezbollah time to rebuild their supply chains. The analysis also points out that Tehran is emerging from the conflict with a strengthened diplomatic and victory narrative amid ongoing backchannel negotiations with the United States.<\/p>\n
103FM Radio Israel<\/a> (May 29, 2026):<\/b> Interview with Prof. Eyal Zisser on the strategic assessment of military operations in Lebanon.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/li>\n