A land incursion would be a far more complex undertaking than the intelligence-led strikes pursued so far

No two wars are alike, even those fought between the same two combatants on the same terrain. But many of the challenges remain the same.

Israel’s most senior military commander has told troops that airstrikes will continue inside Lebanon as the Israeli military prepares for a possible ground operation. If its forces do cross the northern border they are likely to face obstacles they have seen before.