EDITORIAL
Peace is the only valid solution for the ongoing West Asian crisis
A meticulous execution of work leading to assured success is encapsulated by the mantra “Plan your work and work your plan”. Effective planning greatly helps in reducing uncertainty, besides providing a roadmap for success and preparing for contingencies. Furthermore, disciplined execution of the plan maintains focus on long-term objectives, irrespective of the existing conditions. This strategy is important in every sector, more so during crucial decisions like war.
The recent criticism coming from the main opposition leader of Israel, Yair Lapid as regards his country’s conflict with Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon taking too high a toll, exactly points out to this very issue of going ahead with important decisions without strategic planning. Lapid has accused the Israeli government of steering the country towards a “security disaster”, further stating that the military “is stretched to the limit and beyond”. He has maintained that “the government is sending the army into a multi-front war without a strategy, without the necessary means and with far too few soldiers.”
The condemnation by Lapid should not be dismissed as a mere statement by an Opposition leader, as he has echoed a warning delivered a day earlier by Chief of the General Staff of Israel, Eyal Zamir, albeit according to leaked remarks from a security cabinet meeting. Zamir is said to have warned the security cabinet that Israel Defence Forces (IDF) will “collapse in on itself” amid manpower shortage.
In a repetition of observations by Zamir, the Military spokesman of Israel, Effie Defrin, in a televised address said that “more combat soldiers are needed” for deployment in southern Lebanon, where forces are engaged in fighting Hezbollah as part of efforts to establish a buffer zone. According to many military analysts and politicians, especially in the Israeli opposition, this plan to create a buffer zone could be “very costly”.
The Israeli army has been pounding Lebanon with air attacks since a cross-border attack by Hezbollah on March 2, in response to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The United States-Israeli attacks on Iran since February 28 have killed almost 2,000 people. In Israel, at least 19 people have been killed and around 5,500 wounded in Iranian attacks. On the other hand, Israeli forces also continue their near-daily attacks in the Gaza Strip. Despite the October 2025 ‘ceasefire’, Israel continues to attack the war-devastated coastal enclave, killing more than 700 Palestinians since then.
In the past, the US entered into major conflicts with Vietnam and Afghanistan but had to face unsuccessful outcomes due to strategic failures and high casualties. America also had limited success in the Korean War, while it suffered embarrassment during the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion, a failed CIA-backed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro in Cuba. Although the US-Israel collaboration, which has developed into a close strategic, military and economic alliance since the 1960s is now stronger than before, it is a matter of debate as to whether Israel should have joined hands with Uncle Sam to attack Iran.
Today, Israel maintains technological and air superiority, and is capable of damaging Iranian infrastructure. However, Iran with its geographical size, missile arsenal and regional proxies could stretch the conflict to a long time. This could raise the economic and psychological costs for Israel. And then as per the global defence strategists, even the presence of US does not guarantee a decisive victory for Israel. Peace, therefore, could be the only valid solution for the ongoing West Asian crises, which has disrupted global trade and threatened energy security.
