[92726] Yedioth Ahronoth Analysis: IDF in Lebanon Operating Under Restrictions Threatening Israel's Deterrence

[92726] Yedioth Ahronoth Analysis: IDF in Lebanon Operating Under Restrictions Threatening Israel's Deterrence

Sharp Criticism of the Management of the Campaign in Lebanon

In a series of publications from June 21, 2026, Yedioth Ahronoth's military commentator, Yossi Yehoshua, presents a concerning picture of the state of forces in Lebanon. According to reports from الإعلام الحربي, Yehoshua claims that the soldiers on the ground feel like "أهداف سهلة" (easy targets) due to the operational restrictions imposed upon them. According to his argument, fighting with "tied hands" over time has turned from a temporary solution into a "recipe for disaster."

Strategic and Political Implications

In his articles, which are also widely quoted in شبكة قدس الإخبارية and وكالة شهاب, Yehoshua warns that the campaign in Lebanon is "only the beginning." He believes that Iran is managing a strategy of eroding Israeli freedom of action, with the intention of reaching ceasefires in Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank. This position is also emphasized in platforms identified with the "نهج المقاومة", which present his words as evidence of an Israeli strategic defeat in the face of Tehran's influence.

The Call for Military Independence

Yehoshua calls for a structural change in the IDF and the creation of independent production capabilities that would reduce reliance on American weapon systems. According to his words, as published in بتوقيت بيروت, Israel must build an independent operational capability that would allow it freedom of decision even during times of political disagreements with Washington. Sources identified with the Axis of Resistance highlight his words as an Israeli admission that the relinquishing of freedom of action has become an "entrenched precedent" in the Middle East.