For Israel’s weary army, war in Lebanon is an attempt to salvage its image

After detonating thousands of pagers carried by Hezbollah members in an attack that caught much of the world by surprise, Israel has now launched a bloody aerial and ground assault on Lebanon. Since Sept. 23, Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 1,000 people, including hundreds of women and children, in what has been described as one of the most intense air raids in modern history. Over one million are displaced across the country. And despite assassinating Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Israel’s aggression shows no sign of slowing down.

The Hamas-led October 7 attack dealt a resounding blow to Israel’s image as the Middle East’s ultimate security state, as has a year of protracted guerilla warfare in Gaza. Now, more fighting in Lebanon offers the opportunity for image restoration. As in Gaza, death and destruction abetted by sophisticated espionage networks and algorithmic weapons systems are critical to this makeover. Indeed, the Israeli and international press hailed the pager attacks and assassination of Nasrallah as proof of the army’s technological prowess.