The past week has been Israel's hardest in Lebanon since March, in a war whose goals are unclear and in which the U.S. curbs Israel's use of force. In the West Bank, violent settlers continue to assault Palestinians, knowing they have the government's backing

Behind the high-profile dispute between Netanyahu and Trump lies a disagreement between Israel's political and military leaders ■ IDF chief Zamir is forced to plug the holes that have opened in the army's top brass

Israel's retreat from Lebanon under presidential pressure leaves the country's global standing worse for wear, leaving northern residents and IDF troops vulnerable while the fighting stalls

The disconnect between Israel's empty threats and the combat on the ground is particularly striking in light of the vulnerability Hezbollah has exposed. Trump felt forced to intervene in Lebanon because he was worried about the fate of negotiations with Iran

Israeli media and officials hailed the IDF flag over Beaufort Castle, but the symbolism obscured harder questions about the Lebanon campaign: what it achieves strategically, what was learned from past operations, and how Hezbollah's evolving drone threat continues to inflict casualties on troops