If anyone had any doubts before this assassination, they probably don’t now.
Israel has no intention of halting its military operations for a 21-day ceasefire proposed by 12 countries, including its closest ally, the United States.
The military now believes Hezbollah is behind and will want to continue its attacks until the missile threat is eliminated.
Absent Hezbollah’s surrender, it is difficult to see how Israel could achieve its war goal of eliminating the threat of Hezbollah attacks without sending troops on the ground.
The Israel Defense Forces has released footage of infantry training near the border for this very purpose.
But Hezbollah has been training for the next war for the past 18 years since the last one ended. In his last public speech before his death, Nasrallah told his followers that Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon would be a “historic opportunity.”
For the IDF, advancing into Lebanon would be relatively easy. But like in Gaza, it may take months to get out.
