Publications

the next war against hezbollah: strategic and operational considerations. the idf does not hide the fact that it is preparing for war in lebanon. these preparations take the form of learning and applying the lessons of the second lebanon war while incorporating the modifications required in light of changes in the region’s strategic reality, especially in israel’s northern theater. the idf strategy, published in 2015, which serves as the compass for military force buildup and operation, notes that a war in lebanon is one of the reference scenarios in idf preparations. as defined, the idf required achievement in such war must be a decisive outcome against hezbollah forces at the operational level while causing significant damage to its capabilities, and a victory at the strategic level, i.e., attaining the political objectives to be determined by the political echelon and the ability to compel the enemy to accept israel’s conditions for a ceasefire or a political arrangement. the operational approach in the northern sector is based on combining strong defensive measures designed to protect the civilian front and maintain its resilience, with a massive offensive of precision strike and a rapid multiformation ground maneuver to access and damage hezbollah’s centers of gravity.