Israel believes its war aims are incomplete, potentially setting the stage for further hostilities amid a shaky truce with Iran.
Israel continued its assault on Lebanon on Wednesday, reportedly causing Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz again in retaliation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — who is under growing pressure for failing to resolve Israel’s core concerns, including toppling the Iranian regime and destroying Tehran’s nuclear program — said the ceasefire was “not the end of the war but a stop on the way to achieving all the goals.”
Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah, meanwhile, “could undermine the ceasefire overall and keep the US trapped in a conflict it is now seeking to exit,” a Chatham House expert argued.