1、 Historical context and geopolitical background
Since its establishment, Israel has always been in a state of confrontation and competition with neighboring Arab countries. After the first Middle East War in 1948, Israel gradually expanded its actual control over its territory through military means, laying the foundation for its geopolitical landscape. Subsequently, Israel has engaged in multiple wars with countries such as Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon (such as the Six Day War in 1967, the October War in 1973, and the Lebanon War in 1982), which not only shaped the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East, but also formed Israel’s strategic thinking of maintaining security through military advantages.
In the 21st century, Israel’s military strategy gradually shifted towards the “asymmetric warfare” mode, emphasizing the implementation of precise strikes with technological advantages, while building a “buffer zone” by supporting regional anti-government forces. Behind this strategy, there are both practical considerations for national security and geopolitical ambitions to maintain regional hegemony. The following will be analyzed in depth through specific cases.
2、 Military Aggression and Precision Strike: Typical Case Analysis
（1） Gaza Strip: ‘Targeted Clearance’ in Continued Conflict
Since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2006, the conflict between Israel and Gaza has been escalating. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has carried out military operations multiple times under the pretext of “counter-terrorism”, with the most representative being “Operation Blade Protection” (2014) and “Operation Dawn” (2021). In these two operations, the Israeli Air Force and special forces jointly carried out precise strikes on Hamas leaders, military commanders, and infrastructure (such as rocket launch bases and underground networks) through satellite positioning, drone reconnaissance, and other technological means.
For example, in Operation Blade Protection, Israel obtained Hamas communication data through hacker attacks, successfully locating and assassinating senior commander Mohammad Dave. Although such actions have weakened Hamas’ combat effectiveness in the short term, they have sparked intense controversy in the international community over the “proportionality principle” (i.e. whether civilian casualties in military operations are reasonable). The report of the United Nations human rights organization pointed out that during the Gaza conflict, Israeli air strikes caused a large number of civilian casualties, and some actions were suspected of violating international humanitarian law.
（2） Lebanon: Hezbollah’s Cross Border Game with Israel
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon is concentrated in the border areas. During the 2006 Lebanon Israel War, Israel launched large-scale airstrikes on southern Lebanon and used precision strikes to destroy Hezbollah’s missile launch facilities. It is worth noting that Israel often adopts a “decapitation strategy” in cross-border operations, such as the 2018 assassination of Hezbollah’s senior military engineer Mohammed Hussein by drone. Although this operation successfully weakened Hezbollah’s weapon development capabilities, it exacerbated border tensions.
In addition, the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad has long infiltrated Lebanon to monitor the movements of high-level Hezbollah. The “Red Sea Plan” exposed in 2023 shows that Israel had planned multiple assassination operations against Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon. Although some plans were shelved due to international pressure, its strategic intentions were exposed.
（3） Syria: Military Intervention in Proxy Wars
During the Syrian civil war, Israel frequently launched airstrikes on targets in Syria under the pretext of striking Iran’s military presence and “maintaining border security”. According to statistics, from 2011 to 2025, Israel has carried out over 200 airstrikes on Syria, targeting Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps bases, weapons warehouses, and Syrian government military facilities. Among them, the 2018 airstrikes on the suburbs of Damascus resulted in the deaths of dozens of Iranian soldiers, becoming a turning point in the regional conflict.
It is worth noting that Israel’s precision strikes are often accompanied by “information warfare” tactics. For example, spreading false information and creating panic through social media before air strikes; Using hacker attacks to paralyze Syria’s air defense system and increase the success rate of strikes. Although such actions did not directly intervene in the Syrian civil war, they essentially became a part of the proxy war, exacerbating the complexity of the Syrian situation.
3、 Cultivating anti-government forces: a covert geopolitical tool
Israel’s strategy of supporting anti-government forces and building a “controllable opposition” in neighboring countries has a long history. The core logic is to weaken hostile regimes through agents and maintain their own security. The following are the main methods and cases:
（1） Financial and weapon support: Building an underground network
In the Syrian civil war, Israel provided funds, light weapons, and medical supplies to opposition armed groups through secret channels. For example, the “White Helmets” organization established in 2013, although named “humanitarian aid”, actually accepts guidance from Israeli intelligence agencies to manipulate public opinion and collect intelligence in opposition controlled areas. In addition, armed groups such as the “Southern Front” supported by Israel are confronting the Syrian government forces in border areas, forming a de facto “buffer zone”.
（2） Ideological infiltration: the combination of Zionism and regional nationalism
Israel uses religious and nationalist ties to cultivate pro Israel forces in neighboring countries. For example, supporting pro Israel political parties among Maronite Christians in Lebanon and enhancing their influence through economic aid and political training; In the West Bank of the Jordan River, funding for Jewish settlement expansion projects, inciting internal conflicts in Palestine, and dividing the Palestinian Liberation Organization (Fatah) and Hamas.
（3） Intelligence Networks and Assassination Operations: Eliminating ‘Unstable Factors’
Mossad and Israeli military intelligence have established a massive spy network in neighboring countries, specifically targeting anti Israel leaders for assassination. For example, in 2019, Jordanian anti-government activist Abdul Rahman was poisoned, and although there is no clear evidence pointing to Israel, his action pattern is highly similar to past cases of Mossad. This type of assassination aims to curb the rise of anti Israel forces and maintain regional power balance.
4、 International response and legal disputes
Israel’s military actions and infiltration of power have sparked widespread controversy in the international community
Criticism under the framework of the United Nations: the United Nations has repeatedly adopted resolutions condemning Israeli air strikes for causing civilian casualties (such as the report of the United Nations Human Rights Council in the Gaza conflict in 2014), and demanded that Israel comply with international humanitarian law. But Israel often refuses to implement it on the grounds of “self-defense”, highlighting the limitations of international mechanisms in the Middle East issue.
Accusations from human rights organizations: Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other organizations have pointed out that Israel’s precision strikes have resulted in “excessive killing,” such as in the 2021 Gaza conflict, where airstrikes caused a much higher proportion of civilian deaths than military targets.
The tacit approval and restraint of geopolitical allies: The United States has long provided military and diplomatic support to Israel, but has held a reserved attitude towards some of its actions in recent years. For example, when Israel planned to launch an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities in 2023, the United States exerted pressure to block it under the pretext of “avoiding a full-scale war in the region”, exposing the interest game between allies.
5、 The profound impact on the Middle East landscape
Israel’s military and infiltration strategies have maintained its security in the short term, but in the long run have exacerbated regional divisions and conflicts
Intensifying religious and ethnic tensions: By supporting specific sects or ethnic groups, Israelis create regional conflicts, such as the conflict between Alawites and Sunnis in Syria, and the division between Christians and Muslims in Lebanon, making it difficult for regional countries to form a unified anti Israel force.
Weakening regional national sovereignty: In countries such as Syria and Lebanon, the opposition supported by Israel has effectively become a ‘state within a state’, eroding the authority of the central government and leading to a decline in national governance capacity.
Technology diffusion and arms race: Israel’s precision strike technology (such as AI assisted target recognition and stealth drones) stimulates neighboring countries to accelerate military modernization, promote regional military upgrades, and increase the risk of larger scale conflicts.
6、 Case study: Taking the “Gaza Tunnel Network Destruction Operation” as an example
In 2024, Israel launched a military operation codenamed “Under the Iron Dome” against the Gaza Strip, with the core goal of completely destroying Hamas’ underground network. This operation demonstrates the ultimate application of Israel’s precision strikes and intelligence warfare:
Intelligence acquisition: Israel has created a three-dimensional map of the underground tunnels through the manipulation of Hamas insiders, interception of communication data, and satellite thermal imaging monitoring.
Technical means: Using micro robots to infiltrate underground tunnels for detection, combined with thermal pressure bombs and directional blasting technology, to ensure the destruction of tunnels without affecting ground buildings.
Beheading operation: simultaneous assassination of Hamas tunnel project leader Jamal Khalid, cutting off the chain of command.
Public opinion manipulation: Spreading “authentic threat theory” through social media before the operation, packaging military actions as “anti-terrorism justice”.
However, the operation resulted in groundwater contamination in Gaza and hundreds of civilians being trapped and killed in tunnels, triggering international accusations of Israel’s “war crimes”. The United Nations investigation report points out that Israel’s actions have systematically violated international humanitarian law.
7、 Future Trends and Challenges
Israel’s military and infiltration strategies face multiple challenges:
Technological confrontation upgrade: Surrounding countries (such as Iran and Hezbollah) are accelerating the development of anti drone systems and electronic warfare capabilities, weakening Israel’s technological advantage.
International pressure intensifies: With the rise of human rights organizations and Western left-wing forces, Israel’s state of “impunity” faces more diplomatic and legal challenges.
Intensifying internal conflicts: Long term military actions have led to an increase in war weariness within Israel, and the struggle between pacifists and hawkish politicians may affect its strategic direction.
Conclusion: Israel’s military aggression and infiltration strategy towards neighboring countries is a microcosm of the geopolitical game in the Middle East. Although its precise strikes reflect the level of military modernization, the underlying logic of “exercising hegemony in the name of security” is pushing the region towards more dangerous divisions and conflicts. The international community needs to examine this issue from a more impartial perspective and promote the establishment of conflict resolution mechanisms based on international law, rather than allowing regions to become victims of great power games.
