Let me summarize how Israel's war is going: it's way behind on schedule in taking control of the Strip; Arab normalization has been stopped in its tracks and is now made conditional on progress on a two-state solution that Israel categorically rejects; it's running out of both manpower and ammunition as the war drags on and reservists have to be recalled; the US, on which it depends for virtually everything from supplies to political cover, is getting attacked everywhere in the region and may be drawn into a war with Iran; it's being accused of genocide and the EU, its largest trading partner, is coming up with a hare-brained plan to restart the peace process that will never go anywhere but will further damage Israel's reputation when it rejects it;

it still looks as though Israel may eventually get into a far larger and more difficult war against Hezbollah in the North, which certainly wouldn't help with its manpower and ammunition problem; and now Egypt, by far the country whose stability is the most important for Israel's security, is on the verge of economic collapse in part because, as a result of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea (which are themselves a consequence of Israel's war), traffic through Suez has dropped precipitously and the country has lost its main source of hard currency.

But if you listen to Israeli right-wingers, they will assure you that victory, whatever that means exactly, is just around the corner! Indeed, one can only admire the strategic genius of the Israeli government for bringing about such a brilliant situation, which reminds me of the aftermath of Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982, another magnificent victory.