Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can point to a resurgent region as vindication for his tenure, but the cost is steep for Israel. A 20-month-old war has dismantled Hamas in Gaza, thrashed Hezbollah in Lebanon, toppled Bashar Assad in Syria, and delivered a harsh blow to archenemy Iran.
Netanyahu’s aggressive stance against Iranian influence paid off, with regional allies neutralized, defeated, or weakened. However, the change came at an enormous cost for Israel, which suffered its deadliest attack on October 7 and faces deep international isolation over its response, resulting in tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties and making Gaza unlivable.
Experts say while Iran’s network has been dismantled, many problems remain unsolved and won’t be solved by this change. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains unresolved, and society is forever changed by Hamas’ attacks. Netanyahu’s vow to reshape the Middle East may have come at a staggering cost for Israel, leaving its international standing irreparably damaged.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-netanyahu-wars-mideast-f27fa0f17393c9908cd3c93869ff0163