The Lebanese militia is seeking more weapons from Iran, the officials said. It has yet to fire large barrages at Israel, and its top ranks have been crippled by Israeli strikes.

Fundamentally, Israel has failed to learn the lesson of its 1982 invasion of Lebanon. While using massive military force achieved a tactical victory in the short term, it embedded trauma and violence in the Lebanese population for generations. That, in turn, spawned scores of recruits for Hezbollah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the country’s military to continue fighting with “full force” against the armed group Hezbollah, despite calls from the US and other allies for a ceasefire.