Israel, drunk with power, is caught in a delusion. It may be the largest to date.
Eliminating its leadership and senior commanders has not, and cannot, kill Hezbollah nor prevent a new generation of warriors from emerging, who will not adhere to the restraints of the previous generation.
Israel cannot ensure what will come next. To date, Hezbollah has refrained from targeting civilians and has shown little intention in initiating a large-scale war with Israel.
Their assaults aimed to showcase Hezbollah's military capabilities rather than deliver fatal strikes. Hezbollah stated that their conflict would conclude upon the establishment of a ceasefire in Gaza.
This restraint is almost certain to disappear. Hezbollah is forced to act. The policy has been established for it. Similar to Hamas and Gaza, Hezbollah is currently involved in a fight in which its adversary seeks not just to expel it from its main heartland but also to annihilate it entirely.
This has now evolved into an existential struggle for Hezbollah.
What's next? This is a question that Israel seldom contemplates during such times. It also fails to learn from the historical context of this bitter conflict.
Despite the extensive history of political assassinations aimed at instilling fear and deterrence, not a single case of decapitation has resulted in the demise or withdrawal of a militant organization. Hezbollah must revitalize and retaliate.
By showcasing its strength and wielding its sword, Israel has fostered a generation of youth in the Arab world who will ultimately pursue retribution.
All military power possesses limitations. Israel can only achieve security for its populace by returning to negotiations and terminating the occupation. Otherwise, all they will have done is open the door for war for generations to come.
Israel has the capability to transform certain regions of Lebanon into a situation akin to that of Gaza. It has the capacity to devastate homes and countless lives. It has the capacity to wage war with the entire region. However, the primary basis of the conflict, which is the Palestinian national struggle, cannot be overlooked.
Palestine is an issue from which Israel, regardless of the number of wars it engages in, will never be able to escape. Future generations of Israelis will pay a heavy price for the pain their state has inflicted on Palestinians and Lebanese over the decades.
Today, Israelis celebrate their accomplishments in Lebanon. However, triumph incurs a significant cost.
Israel's "accomplishment" has resulted in killing around 1000 Lebanese within a week, including at least 50 children. It has normalized death and discarded the final remnants of humanity.
The depictions of devastation in Gaza and Lebanon will remain in the collective consciousness: Israel can only fulfill its national objective by increasingly destroying the lives of people under its dominion.