But perhaps an equally important, if unspoken, objective is to wipe away the errors of Israel’s 2006 war in Lebanon.
That 34-day campaign against Hezbollah guerrillas was marred by hasty decisions and unrealistic expectations. With meticulous preparations and limited aims this time around, the Gaza offensive is meant to restore the army’s credibility at home - and its power of deterrence against Arab enemies.
“Things are being done in a much more orderly way,” Cabinet minister Isaac Herzog said.
Israel declared war on Hezbollah immediately after the guerrilla group burst across Israel’s northern border, killing three soldiers and capturing two.
With little debate, the government set out an ambitious agenda: to bring home the captured soldiers safely and destroy Hezbollah.
While Israel dealt Hezbollah a heavy blow, it failed to rescue the soldiers or stop the guerrilla group from raining 4,000 rockets onto northern Israel.
