Are IDF soldiers in Lebanon now dying in vain? - analysis

<img align='right' src='https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/q_auto/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_4000,w_6000/726568' alt='An Israeli soldier smokes a cigarette near the Israeli border with Lebanon in northern Israel, May 1, 2026. (photo credit: MICHAEL GILADI/FLASH90)' title='An Israeli soldier smokes a cigarette near the Israeli border with Lebanon in northern Israel, May 1, 2026. (photo credit: MICHAEL GILADI/FLASH90)' /><br />As Israel expands operations in southern Lebanon, debate is growing inside the defense establishment over whether battlefield gains are translating into any real strategic shift.<br />