Ehud Barak warns Israel against a prolonged stay in Lebanon after 2000 pullout

Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak led the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon in May 2000, ending an 18‑year occupation and dismantling the South Lebanon Security Zone. In an interview, Barak said the decision was "the right one" and added, "The right question is not why I did it in 2000, why was it not done 15 years earlier."

Barak now cautions that the current Israeli operation in southern Lebanon – the largest since the 2000 pullout and extending roughly 15 miles into Lebanese territory – could repeat the earlier mistake of becoming a long‑term entanglement. He told NPR, "There is no way to completely defeat Hezbollah without conquering the whole of Lebanon, which is totally impractical." The renewed fighting has already cost Israel nearly 30 soldiers and has drawn regional attention, including concerns from the United States and Iran.

Barak argues that any limited military action must be linked to a political process coordinated with the Lebanese government to avoid another protracted quagmire.