INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
TEHRAN - In the annals of modern conflict, the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon stands as a striking example of how unarmed civilian
movements can disrupt even the most entrenched military occupations.Despite repeated ceasefires and diplomatic pressure, Israel refused to
This retreat was not merely a military setback for Israel but a psychological triumph for the resistance
It underscored a critical lesson in asymmetric warfare: victory often begins not on the battlefield, but in the mind
to fully retreat, maintaining a presence in over a dozen villages
This refusal ignited frustration among displaced residents, who organized protests to reclaim their villages
breaching the ceasefire terms
Mass civilian protests erupted across southern Lebanon, with displaced residents, many accompanied by Lebanese army vehicles, attempting to
Israeli forces responded with live fire, killing two and injuring 17 on January 27 alone, as demonstrators in villages like Odaisseh and
Aitaroun faced gunfire and roadblocks
and geopolitical calculations would prevail
themselves veto power over any timeline
This intransigence reflected a confidence in conventional military logic: that superior firepower, surveillance, and fortified positions
could indefinitely suppress resistance
Displaced families from occupied villages began organizing marches, demanding the right to return home
These protests were not explicitly armed but carried profound symbolic weight
Thousands of Lebanese civilians flooded into the occupied zone
They weaponized visibility, exposing the moral bankruptcy of the occupation and stripping Israel of its pretexts for staying
When Hezbollah engaged in guerrilla strikes, Israel adapted
But the civilian marches defied categorization
civilian noncompliance is a nightmare scenario
It denies legitimacy, complicates counterinsurgency, and attracts global scrutiny
Israel could not justify firing on unarmed crowds without risking international condemnation.The withdrawal from Lebanon underscores a
paradigm shift in conflict: the ascendancy of psychological and informational dimensions
Modern wars are often won not by overpowering an enemy materially but by outmaneuvering them cognitively
First, it demonstrates that civilian agency can alter the trajectory of wars, even against materially and technologically superior foes
Second, it reveals the limits of conventional military logic in the face of unpredictable, grassroots resistance
cautious warfare alone could not
weapon in war is often the one the enemy never sees coming.
