Israel is driving tanks and infantry deeper into southern Lebanon, but behind the bravado a stark admission has slipped out. IDF officials now concede that fully stripping Hezbollah of its rocket arsenal is “unrealistic” without a massive ground invasion reaching far beyond the Litani – an operation they say is not on the table. Instead, five divisions push to carve out an 8–10 km belt and a 2–4 km “security zone,” even as a spokesman admits the army is short around 15,000 soldiers. Can Israel really neutralize Hezbollah with half‑measures and manpower gaps?