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The US did it in Iraq, they secured ground against an entrenched enemy - and in much larger cities too. US infantry are actually decent at fighting. Or Russian infantry, they secure cities too. They took Mariupol, it was a tough fight against committed Azov defenders. They took Bakhmut, which is bigger and a lot better defended than these random hills in Lebanon. But they actually take ground and once ground is taken it stays taken. The Israelis go on these raiding missions into Gaza and blow things up but can't seem to take and hold territory.
The Israelis 'care about PR' but would never let it affect their military tactics, which include terror bombing, torturing prisoners and just randomly shooting people. They go on twitter and write these random screeds. This is from the Israeli minister of national security:
But even with them blowing up all these buildings, dropping all these bombs - that is not achieving political goals! Even if what you say is true and that no nation can handle entrenched urban enemies while 'caring about PR' against tough, determined foes. Then that should affect strategy. I would simply not attempt military operations that cannot achieve my political goals, or that cost more than they gain!
Same with the US. Blowing up the Iranian airforce and navy, even if the US actually did that and it's not just cope... who cares? Did it accomplish US political goals? No! Blowing up power plants would've just seen the Iranians blow up more oil facilities in the Middle East. That doesn't help America achieve its goals, quite the reverse.
If Israel wants to conserve its international reputation, avoid casualties, conquer land, defeat and divide its enemies... well it needs to prioritize, Israel is not a great power and can't have all of those things simultaneously. The US can't do everything it wants simultaneously against determined opponents. If Israel embrace a doctrine of using human shields (the 'mosquito protocol') to approach boobytrapped buildings, that's necessarily going to affect your international reputation. There are tradeoffs and limitations for these powers.
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