Sheikh Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general, made the remarks at a Saturday commemoration ceremony in the capital Beirut.

The Lebanese Resistance movement has since early October been conducting retaliatory strikes against the Israeli-occupied territories in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The Tel Aviv regime has recently ramped up its aggression on several localities in southern Lebanon, bragging about attempts to expand the brutal war in the besieged Palestinian territory to other fronts in the region, including on Lebanese soil.  

“Hezbollah supported Gaza, the people of Gaza, and the people of Palestine during the confrontation taking place in southern Lebanon, and at the same time protected Lebanon, deterred Israel, and put an end to the ideas that arise in the mind of the Israeli regime about the desire in the attack on Lebanon or the widespread attack on Lebanon,” Sheikh Qassem was quoted as saying by Lebanon’s al-Ahed news website.

“They know that Hezbollah is always ready,” he added, stressing that the Resistance movement reserves its capabilities for the “due time.”

The deputy secretary general of Hezbollah further said, “The due time is when the Israeli expands its aggression so that we can confront this expansion with something greater than it and more instrumental.”

Praising Hezbollah combatants' courage and combat readiness, Sheikh Qassem said, “No one bets that threats or aggression can discourage us. Rather, we are stricter in confrontation and Resistance, and we prove that we are superior. If Israel’s aggression continues, we will respond appropriately.”

The senior Hezbollah official added, “We hear some Israeli authorities saying that they will not stop the war even if it stops in Gaza! Slow down, who says we are waiting for you to stop or continue?! We are in the field, if you attack, we will respond to you, and if you stand aside, we will deal with you with an appropriate method.”

The Israeli regime launched its hostilities in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, after the territory’s Hamas-led Palestinian Resistance groups launched surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupiers.

The Israeli military has also been conducting attacks against the Lebanese territory since then, prompting retaliatory strikes from Hezbollah in condemnation of the regime’s bombardment of Gaza.

The movement has vowed to keep up its retaliatory operations as long as the Tel Aviv regime continues its onslaught on Gaza.

Israel has killed more than 27,000 people, most of them children and women, in Gaza since early October.