How did Hezbullah manage to win the 2006 war against Israel (asymmetrically)?

[Madplayer]

Here is a piece from that time.

Nasrallah wins the war

HASSAN NASRALLAH and Ehud Olmert both say they won. But in asymmetrical warfare, the test of victory is asymmetrical too. Israel's prime minister set himself an absurd aim—the complete demolition of Hizbullah's power in Lebanon—and failed to achieve it. The shrewder Mr Nasrallah said victory would consist merely of surviving, and Hizbullah, however battered, did survive. On the last day it was not just standing, it also fired a record 246 rockets into Israel.

Hizbullah being what it is, Mr Nasrallah lost no time claiming that this was “a strategic, historic victory”; crowds in Tehran chorused that Israel had been “destroyed”. Did Hizbullah not kill 159 Israelis, including 116 Zionist soldiers? Israel being what it is, Mr Olmert's political foes lost no time denouncing the prime minister's failings as Israelis sank into a collective despond about the disappointing showing of their army and the blunting of their country's long-term deterrent power.

Mr Olmert, echoed by George Bush, says that Israel won because it has transformed Lebanon. Under Security Council Resolution 1701, which brought the fragile ceasefire, Hizbullah is to withdraw north of the Litani river, make way for the Lebanese army plus a strengthened UN force, and disarm. That would, Israel says, put an end to Hizbullah's “state within state”. And so it would—if it happened. But it may not. Within days of the ceasefire, Mr Nasrallah said it was “too early” to discuss disarming. Syria's president, Bashar Assad, said so too. And the likelihood of the Lebanese army or a UN force trying to disarm Hizbullah against its will is zero. Two years ago, the UN passed a splendid resolution, 1559, demanding the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon. If Hizbullah did not comply then, why should it do so now, flushed with self-declared victory and with Israel's army still inside Lebanon?

Source: https://www.economist.com/node/7796790

So Israel has weapons to hit precise targets, the tanks which they claimed to be the best in the world, a well trained army but still managed to fail in their adventures.

 

[JaDed]

In a full blown war Israel would had won,it would always win against its neighbors ,but it cannot always win wars which are to bring down a political army as such, if not Hamas would had been finished long ago.

 

[Varun]

The people of Israel continue to live a normal and relatively luxurious life. The people of Lebanon on the other hand were hit hard from the inside and outside.

There's only one winner in that equation, and it's not Lebanon.

 

[Gilly]

Nobody wins in any war, war itself is destruction.

 

[Madplayer]

The people of Israel continue to live a normal and relatively luxurious life. The people of Lebanon on the other hand were hit hard from the inside and outside.

There's only one winner in that equation, and it's not Lebanon.

Lets talk about the war itself, not the luxurious lives of Israelis who get billions from US.
Almost all neutral analysts said that it was a defeat for Israel because of its Asymmetrical nature and some said it was inconclusive. As a matter of fact, Hizbullah emerged out as a massive organised power in the region after this war rather than being annihilated as wished by Israel.

In terms of tactics, Israelis were blown away completely which was hard to imagine because of traditional Arab ineptness. They were caught off guard a lot of times and drew criticism from their own public as well. I think a lot of Hizbullah's military prowess has to do with Iran's backing which only tells you what Iran itself is capable of incase somebody threatens it.

Yesterday a report came out in which Hizbullah has claimed that they are ready with a lot of surprises for Israelis when the 3rd Lebanon war takes place. For the sake of regional peace, we can hope that no such thing takes place.

 

[Madplayer]

Nobody wins in any war, war itself is destruction.

Its true. Especially in philosophical terms.

 

[Madplayer]

In a full blown war Israel would had won,it would always win against its neighbors ,but it cannot always win wars which are to bring down a political army as such, if not Hamas would had been finished long ago.

How can Hamas be finished when it draws strength from the occupying force of Israel itself? There will be replacements readily available.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Lets talk about the war itself, not the luxurious lives of Israelis who get billions from US.
Almost all neutral analysts said that it was a defeat for Israel because of its Asymmetrical nature and some said it was inconclusive. As a matter of fact, Hizbullah emerged out as a massive organised power in the region after this war rather than being annihilated as wished by Israel.

In terms of tactics, Israelis were blown away completely which was hard to imagine because of traditional Arab ineptness. They were caught off guard a lot of times and drew criticism from their own public as well. I think a lot of Hizbullah's military prowess has to do with Iran's backing which only tells you what Iran itself is capable of incase somebody threatens it.

Yesterday a report came out in which Hizbullah has claimed that they are ready with a lot of surprises for Israelis when the 3rd Lebanon war takes place. For the sake of regional peace, we can hope that no such thing takes place.

Which might be why Iran is now being put under pressure by Trump's USA/Saudi Arabia. I can't see Hizballah being anything more than a nuisance group as far as Israel is concerned, they will be kept under pressure by Israel's international friends.

 

[Romali_rotti]

I don't know much about this war but Hezbollah won ? from what I read Israel bombed the living daylights out of Lebanon ? Maybe Hezbollah won some kind of moral victory, which in the real world doesnt mean much ? Oh who cares its the Jew Arab issue, not for the sub continentites to worry about

 

[the Great Khan]

Isreal failed in its mission hence why the Hizb won. Also it was a big moral victory becasue of the way they took on the Golani and other units. The use of Russian anti tank weapons like the Kornet really put the pressure on the Isrealis. Their soldiers took major casualties and they are simply not made to take casualties due to the size of their forces and their population. So a 100 dead Isrealis is the equivalent of a 1000 dead Pakistanis.

Remember this, Isreal is the last bastion of a people on the edge of total extinction. Hence why their desperation to ensure they maintain a deterrence.

Israel is their last fort. The last stand. The last attempt at regaining their lost status. And the last piece in the puzzle of the finality of History...

 

[Robert]

Israel says the gloves were on in 2006, and next time they won’t be. In that case I fear for the Lebanese.

 

[Eagle_Eye]

How can Hamas be finished when it draws strength from the occupying force of Israel itself? There will be replacements readily available.

I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding in your OP. It was a limited war and fought on terms of the Israelis. If they wanted to, they could have bombed them out of existence and there would have been very little Hizbullah could have done in return.

 

[Madplayer]

Israel says the gloves were on in 2006, and next time they won’t be. In that case I fear for the Lebanese.

What do you expect the Israelis to say if not this? They can't really say that that they failed, can they? Obviously they will say that they were exercising restrain while the fact is that a higher percentage of Israeli causalties was composed of their army personnels while a higher percentage of the Lebanese casualties were of their civilians. This is yet another front on which Israel lost (if we talk about the human side of it).

 

[Madplayer]

I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding in your OP. It was a limited war and fought on terms of the Israelis. If they wanted to, they could have bombed them out of existence and there would have been very little Hizbullah could have done in return.

"If they wanted"

Okay.

 

[TQ89]

Neutrally speaking, nobody won. It was stalemate of sorts as Hamas couldn't protect its civilians who were mercilessly bombed by Israel but at the same time Israel couldn't eliminate Hamas (which was the main objective of the whole war) and had to suffer losses & back down. Also the rest of their middle eastern neighbors were never keen on that war & still are not, doesn't matter how much lip service they give against yahoodis and hence the push for ceasefire.

This is like those Vietnam war arguments where USA officials/media insisting they won cause vietnam didn't beat them and vietnamese officials/media say they won because they didn't lose to USA and made USA back down.

 

[Madplayer]

Neutrally speaking, nobody won. It was stalemate of sorts as Hamas couldn't protect its civilians who were mercilessly bombed by Israel but at the same time Israel couldn't eliminate Hamas (which was the main objective of the whole war) and had to suffer losses & back down. Also the rest of their middle eastern neighbors were never keen on that war & still are not, doesn't matter how much lip service they give against yahoodis and hence the push for ceasefire.

This is like those Vietnam war arguments where USA officials/media insisting they won cause vietnam didn't beat them and vietnamese officials/media say they won because they didn't lose to USA and made USA back down.

It was against Hizbullah, not Hamas.

 

[TQ89]

It was against Hizbullah, not Hamas.

Sorry huge typo there.