Fundamentally, Israel has failed to learn the lesson of its 1982 invasion of Lebanon. While using massive military force achieved a tactical victory in the short term, it embedded trauma and violence in the Lebanese population for generations. That, in turn, spawned scores of recruits for Hezbollah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the country’s military to continue fighting with “full force” against the armed group Hezbollah, despite calls from the US and other allies for a ceasefire.

Israel has described its initial ground incursion into southern Lebanon as “limited,” although its key ally, the Biden administration, has already suggested it could risk dragging on.