Israel has widened its military operations against Lebanon’s Iran-back Hezbollah group while Israeli media outlets have published leaks from the military indicating that it is urging the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to achieve a political solution.
According to the leaks, the Israeli military believes there is no military solution to disarm Hezbollah, and that even if it were to occupy all of Lebanon, it could not guarantee eliminating the group’s last drone.
Israel has expanded its airstrikes into the eastern Bekaa Valley and carried out dozens of raids, while Hezbollah has intensified its drone attacks targeting Israeli soldiers in occupied areas and towns across the Galilee.
Netanyahu’s criticism
The Israeli PM accused the military of shortcomings. At the beginning of a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu said that six years ago he had warned about the danger posed by Hezbollah acquiring Iranian drones and had instructed the army to take action against it.
His remarks were considered an attempt to incite the public opinion against the army’s leadership, which has failed to address the problem for six years.
Israeli Dissatisfaction
The exchange of accusations emerged as the US administration and Lebanon’s government announced positive progress during the third round of talks between the two delegations in Washington on Thursday.
The two sides agreed to extend the ceasefire for 45 days and to launch a fourth round of direct Lebanese-Israeli negotiations at the political level on June 2 and 3, as well as military-level talks at the Pentagon on the 29th of May under the supervision of the US Department of Defense.
Israeli officials dismissed the optimistic tone surrounding the talks, saying Hezbollah still refuses to disarm and is demanding changes to the terms set after the November 2024 ceasefire.
Continued Escalation
The Israeli army considers Hezbollah’s continued drone strikes against Israel allows it to maintain its occupation of five strategic military points in Lebanon and to freely strike the party’s positions and operatives but views this situation as “unsustainable and futile”.
According to a report in Yedioth Ahronoth, Israeli analysts believe it will be difficult to resolve the Lebanese crisis through an agreement without first addressing the Iranian crisis.
According to Israeli security sources cited by Kan 11, even a full occupation of southern Lebanon would not eliminate Hezbollah’s remaining drones or missiles. They say military action may weaken the group, but it cannot fully resolve the underlying threat.
Comprehensive Agreement
The sources added that the Israeli military adopts various and costly defensive measures to counter Hezbollah’s drone attacks but has also stressed that a “military solution alone is not enough”, and that the matter requires a “political breakthrough” alongside military deterrence.
According to Maariv, the reported Israeli demands include the full disarmament of Hezbollah, enhanced Israeli monitoring north of the border, and the creation of a demilitarized zone in southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, along with a 3–5 km security buffer zone along the border restricting Lebanese access.
However, the political leadership in Israel is reportedly using military operations as leverage in parallel with talks in Washington, arguing that a political settlement depends on external actors. It views Iran as decisive in shaping Hezbollah’s stance and believes that escalating military pressure in Lebanon could help influence Iranian negotiators.
