Israel has described its initial ground incursion into southern Lebanon as “limited,” although its key ally, the Biden administration, has already suggested it could risk dragging on.

Fundamentally, Israel has failed to learn the lesson of its 1982 invasion of Lebanon. While using massive military force achieved a tactical victory in the short term, it embedded trauma and violence in the Lebanese population for generations. That, in turn, spawned scores of recruits for Hezbollah.

Israel says it has launched a ground invasion in southern Lebanon against the armed group Hezbollah, marking another significant escalation of their long-running conflict that has heightened fears of a regional war.