Benny Gantz, a former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff who left his country’s war Cabinet last month, was blunt during a security conference when addressing the ongoing conflict at the Israel-Lebanon border last week. “We can bring Lebanon completely into the dark, and take apart Hezbollah’s power in days,” Gantz said.
If there is anything Middle East experts can agree on, it’s that a large-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah would be a travesty for all involved. Inside Israel, it’s a different story; many Israelis believe another war with Hezbollah is inevitable, if not long overdue given the security environment Israel has faced since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack undermined the IDF’s perceived invincibility. The IDF have already approved plans for an offensive in Lebanon, and the language from some Israeli officials, including Gantz, suggests an operation will occur sooner or later. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for example, stressed over the weekend that more Israeli reservists will be deployed to the north as operations in Gaza wind down.
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