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The war in Lebanon carries high political costs for Israel while offering no clear military solution to Hezbollah’s missile attacks in the north, Israel Hayom reported Saturday, citing a senior official.
The official said that despite criticism of the ceasefire with Hezbollah announced Saturday, halting the fighting remains the only way to stop rocket and missile fire on northern Israeli towns.
According to the report, the Israeli Cabinet had never instructed the army to eliminate Hezbollah’s military power.
It said dismantling Hezbollah remains a broader objective, but was not defined as one to be achieved solely through military means.
The official said targeted assassinations and other military operations may weaken Hezbollah but cannot completely stop the group’s missile and rocket launches.
Achieving that militarily would require a far more extensive offensive and a major increase in manpower, which the report said is currently unrealistic as the Israeli army remains overstretched across multiple fronts and continues to repeatedly call up reservists.
The report also said the threat of a ground incursion into northern Israeli towns had been removed, raising doubts about whether resuming the offensive would bring meaningful military benefit.
The official said stopping the fighting remains the only way to halt the ongoing missile and rocket fire.
“The military benefit is doubtful, while the political costs are enormous,” the official was quoted as saying.
The report said the latest round of war caused severe political and reputational damage to Israel, reinforcing its image internationally as a state fueling war.
Efforts within the European Union to suspend mutual agreements with Israel had resumed, while 80% of Democratic senators last week voted in favor of halting weapons sales to Israel, according to the report.
Since March 2, expanded Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed nearly 2,500 people and displaced more than 1 million, according to Lebanese authorities.
On April 17, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Lebanon.
The ceasefire was later extended on Thursday by an additional three weeks.
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