Quote Originally Posted by Rank amateur View Post
To me, it appears as though Hezbollah inflicted sufficient fear to cause withdrawal. Like I said, that isn't necessary defeat, but if the war ends after one side withdraws, it certainly looks like defeat to me. Germany withdrew from France. WWI ended. Germany was defeated.
Well if that was the case it could be said that the IDF caused sufficient fear to halt rocket attacks from the Lebanon. The fighting may have stopped but the war is ongoing.

IMO withdrawal does not define any aspect of defeat. The sole criteria I use to define defeat is permanent, collective, physical, and psychological withdrawal from combat. And that stands for COIN as well as larger conflicts.