Israel or Hezbollah; The Real Winner of War and Peace According to Experts

On Wednesday, December 7, experts Alim Saleh and Ben Sabti appeared on Voice of America's evening analysis program to examine various aspects of the ceasefire in Lebanon and the winner of this peace and war between Israel and Hezbollah. Ben Sabti, an expert on Iranian and Israeli issues, told Voice of America: "Israel was both the victor on the battlefield and the winner of the current ceasefire." He elaborated on his opinion: "Israel, after inflicting severe blows to Hezbollah and the Islamic Republic, shattered the hollow prestige of this group and demonstrated that Tehran's proxy forces lack the necessary efficiency and capability to defend the Islamic Republic." The Iranian and Israeli affairs expert noted: "With Hezbollah's defeat, Western and Arab countries also realized that all of the Islamic Republic's proxy groups are empty but noisy, and the Islamic Republic's hand was empty at the crucial moment of confrontation with Israel, despite forty years of investment in these groups." Alim Saleh, an assistant professor at an Australian university, considered all parties to be winners of the current ceasefire in Lebanon and stated that "the year-long war between Israel and Hezbollah and Hamas had no winners, but Israel was definitely the loser of this ceasefire." He expressed satisfaction with the cessation of war and bloodshed in Lebanon, adding: "With this ceasefire, Hezbollah has the opportunity to rebuild itself, but Israel, despite the enormous costs of war over the past year and the loss of international and domestic credibility, will not have much capacity for recovery." Both guests agreed that the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon could be a precursor to ending the war in Gaza, provided that Hamas decides to release the 101 hostages it has taken. Israel confirmed the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah on Tuesday, December 6. According to the ceasefire agreement, Israeli ground forces are to gradually withdraw from southern Lebanon and hand over their positions to the Lebanese army. Hezbollah has also committed to withdrawing its forces from southern Lebanon and retreating about 19 kilometers from the Israeli border. The war between Israel and Hezbollah began on October 8, 2023, after Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Hezbollah declared that its goal in the conflict with Israel was to support and back this Palestinian group.