History does not merely remember wars by who fired the first shot. It remembers them by the political ambitions they fulfilled or the strategic objectives they failed to achieve. The conflict that followed the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023 was initially presented as a security response, but as the war expanded from Gaza to Lebanon, Syria and beyond, it prompted a broader debate about whether the crisis was reshaping the Middle East in ways that extended far beyond counterterrorism.

For decades, the idea of a “Greater Israel” has remained associated with sections of Revisionist Zionist and religious nationalist thought that envision Israeli sovereignty over a larger historic homeland. Although not an official state policy, the war reignited concerns among many observers that these ideas had gained renewed momentum. Calls by some Israeli politicians for long-term control of Gaza, proposals advocating the displacement of Palestinians,........

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