The recent war broke out with great military and political force inside Israel, accompanied by an official speech that spoke of “decisive achievements,” reshaping regional balances, and weakening “Hezbollah” in the context of a broader confrontation with Iran. However, developments in operations later revealed a discrepancy between the declared ambitions and the results achieved on the ground, with increasing internal doubts about the clarity of goals and the end of the confrontation.
According to the report of journalist Avi Ashkenazi published in the Israeli newspaper “Maariv”, the announcement of the ceasefire came in a state of uncertainty even within the military establishment, as a number of senior officers were not aware of the details of the arrangements, including the fate of the deployment of forces in Lebanon, which reflected a state of confusion in the management of the transitional phase.
The report indicates the dissatisfaction of the residents of northern Israel who felt that their security concerns were not translated into practical measures, despite repeated promises to change the security situation on the border. It also addresses the political performance during the war, considering that it contributed to the complexity of the situation, especially with the effective transfer of management of the ceasefire to US President Donald Trump, who announced a cessation of fighting, while the Israeli leadership seemed unable to provide a clear explanation of what was achieved.
Ashkenazi believes that the challenge is not limited to evaluating military results, but rather lies in the ability of the Israeli leadership to transform any field gain into a political victory in light of a complex regional situation. He uses a striking expression, considering that what began with “an eagle’s roar” ended with what resembled “a cat’s meow,” indicating the contrast between the strong beginning and the ambiguous conclusion.
The report places the war in the context of a broader regional confrontation linking the Lebanese arena with tension with Iran, in an attempt to redraw the balance of power. However, this link did not translate, according to the same vision, into stable strategic results, but rather revealed greater complications, especially with the Lebanese front continuing in a state of unresolved clash.
It also highlights the increasing American role in managing the ceasefire, which, according to the report, reflects Israel’s declining ability to impose its conditions on its own and enter into a negotiating path governed by broader international calculations.
Accordingly, the next stage remains open to multiple possibilities, ranging from consolidating the truce and turning it into a political track, or returning to escalation if the military results cannot be transformed into a permanent settlement.
