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Source: https://jcfa.org/not-an-accidental-failure-israels-approach-in-lebanon-keeps-hizbullah-alive/
Assessing Israel's Approach in Lebanon
(Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs) Oded Ailam - The ceasefire imposed on Israel in the Lebanese arena is nothing more than the halting of a fourth war in the past forty years, without removing the threats and without addressing their root causes. This is a direct result of a flawed doctrine: the attempt to replace military decision with "conflict management." The IDF achieved impressive successes in the south, capturing, clearing, and establishing a significant buffer zone up to the Litani River, but failed to effectively contend with the rocket threat. Even if Hizbullah retains only 20% of its arsenal, this still amounts to tens of thousands of rockets. While IDF fighters clear border villages, the main centers of power in Baalbek and Dahieh remain relatively immune from ground operations. To ensure that this ceasefire is not merely a prelude to a fifth war, Israel must abandon its defensive posture of attrition. All efforts must be focused on achieving a clear outcome. This includes aggressive diplomatic warfare led by the U.S. and supported by Gulf states, with an uncompromising demand to outlaw Hizbullah and dismiss its ministers, close the Iranian embassy, neutralize the negative role of Nabih Berri as a mediator, and replace Lebanese army commander Rodolphe Haykal, who cooperates with Hizbullah. The writer, former head of the Counterterrorism Division in the Mossad, is a researcher at the Jerusalem Center.