This is fantasy. Israel (or any country really) ability to expand is limited by its neighbors. Egypt, Jordan and the GCC are more powerful than the 60s and the recent UAE message of pulling of the Abraham accord is a clear signal that they have real weight in Washington. Israel cannot, in the current circumstances, expand.
So I agree with your parent. What Israel currently is doing is non-sense and plays in the hands of Hamas (who is not losing, as civilian lost lives do not count in Hamas counter).
Right now - the evidence on the ground is that Gaza is pretty much fully occupied and largely uninhabitable.
Despite agreeing to leave under the brokered peace deal, Israel are still in southern Lebanon and show no sign of leaving. The flagrant breach of the original cease fire agreement appears to have no consequences.
The effective seige and annexation of the West bank appears to be gathering pace.
Smotrich said back in April that their campaign in Syria will end 'when Syria is dismantled' - they show no sign of leaving, and are still running operations in and around Damascus, and appear to be running the classic divide and conquer strategy.
While the countries you mention may be stronger - Syria and Lebanon are both very weak and very dependent on US 'aid'.
And in terms of US support, which I agree is critical in all this, they appear to have carte blanc from the current US administration.
Also criticism from EU countries is much more muted than their populations would like - for example the UK government is spending more effort on trying to lock up it's own protesting citizens ( for 14 years under anti-terror laws for doing nothing more that holding up a sign ) than doing anything to stop Israel.
Long term - who knows - but right now the plan does appear to be working.
Also - in terms of Egypt - the current leader came to power in a 2013 coup, and there has not been any free and fair election since ( elections yes - free and fair no ).
Jordan and Egypt are 3 and 4 behind Ukraine and Israel in terms of being the recipient of US aid.
I doubt El-sisi could remain in power for long if that aid was withdrawn - if you are kept in power by the military but can no longer afford the wages....
Expansion is relative: consolidating the assimilation of Gaza and the West Bank is a project that has been progressing for decades, not a recent military development.
Ridiculous escalations like invading the Sinai peninsula would be considered "expansion"; the current ethnic cleansing is perceived as an internal Israeli matter.
This is fantasy. Israel (or any country really) ability to expand is limited by its neighbors. Egypt, Jordan and the GCC are more powerful than the 60s and the recent UAE message of pulling of the Abraham accord is a clear signal that they have real weight in Washington. Israel cannot, in the current circumstances, expand.
So I agree with your parent. What Israel currently is doing is non-sense and plays in the hands of Hamas (who is not losing, as civilian lost lives do not count in Hamas counter).