Hezbollah has "the right to respond" to Israel's assassination of Hezbollah military chief Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah's Secretary-General Naim Qassem asserted in a speech on Friday night.
"We have the right to respond, and we will determine the timing," Qassem claimed. "The assassination of Tabatabai was a blatant act of aggression."
The Israeli military killed Hezbollah's top military official, Tabatabai, last Sunday in a strike on the outskirts of the Beirut that came despite a year-long ceasefire.
Qassem also claimed that Hezbollah had faced a number of infiltrations and that this was organized by enemies in the United States and from the Arab world.
"The enemy did everything in its power to end the resistance, but it failed. It faced a humble group that was able to confront the tyrannical Israeli-American aggression," he claimed.
The Islamist official also claimed that Hezbollah was hopeful that Pope Leo's visit would help bring calm to the region.
"We welcome the Pope's visit to Lebanon, and we have tasked members of the Political Council with visiting the Papal Embassy and fulfilling our duty. We hope that his visit will contribute to establishing peace and ending the aggression," Qassem said during the address.
"The ceasefire is a day of victory for the resistance, Hezbollah, the people, and Lebanon, because we succeeded in preventing the enemy from achieving its goals, foremost among them ending and eliminating the resistance, and this has not been achieved. This in itself is a victory.
Hezbollah says Lebanon's army will lead fight against Israeli 'occupation'
"The agreement represents a new phase in which the state has decided to assume the responsibility of expelling the occupation and deploying the Lebanese army. Therefore, there is an aggression that must stop, and the prisoners must be released," he continued. "The ceasefire came as a result of our steadfastness, thanks to the legendary performance of our resistance fighters on the front lines, the resilience of our generous people, and the support of the Amal Movement and the army for this front. We are strong because of the blood of our martyrs, our attachment to our land, our honorable families, and our patriotism."
The comments on the Lebanese military come as part of an international push to see Lebanon disarm extremist groups, including Palestinian factions and Hezbollah. While Lebanon's President Aoun has seen the army disarm Palestinian camps across the country, he has been subject to international criticism for failing to take meaningful action against Hezbollah.
Criticizing Lebanon for not confronting Israel, Qassem continued, "The government said it wants to confront and defend, and I say to it: Rights cannot be obtained without fulfilling the most important duty, which is protecting the citizens. Let the government show us how it will deter the enemy. - The first responsibility for deterrence lies with the state, with its army and its people… So what forms of deterrence has it taken?
"It has not liberated, it has not protected, and it has not prevented the enemy from establishing political stability. As for the resistance, what did it do in terms of deterrence? It drove the enemy out in 2000, and from then until 2023 it deterred them and protected Lebanon."