Hezbollah official threatens 'open war' against Israel

The deputy head of Hezbollah’s political council, Mahmoud Qmati, on Tuesday issued a statement addressed to the residents of south Lebanon, saying that Hezbollah had maintained its “patience” after the 2024 ceasefire agreement for “their sake” and to “avert aggression,” hoping that the state would “achieve a positive outcome through its diplomatic efforts.”

"We have repeatedly stated that patience has its limits and sent messages that we can no longer tolerate the killing of our citizens and youth and the destruction of our homes, yet we were accused of weakness,” Qmati said.

He added that the Lebanese government "did not appreciate or respect this patience, continued to offer concessions to the enemy for free, and persisted in its policy of strangulation."

He continued that Hezbollah had "provided full cooperation and positivity in all national matters, surrendered their weapons south of the Litani River, and strictly adhered to the ceasefire agreement."

Qmati lamented that the result was "the ongoing daily aggression against our homeland," and that the government has not achieved "any progress related to liberating the land and the prisoners, stopping the violations, or reconstruction."

Qmati concluded that "this new Israeli aggression against Lebanon was premeditated and ready."

“It didn't need a pretext; it was going to happen sooner or later,” Qmati suggested. “The era of patience has ended, leaving us with no option but to return to resistance,” he added.

Escalating the stance, he added: “The enemy wants an open war, which it has not stopped since the ceasefire agreement. So let it be an open war. God is our helper, and victory belongs to the homeland, the people, and the resistance.”

Qmati also criticized the Lebanese government, saying it “objects to resistance against the occupation and doesn't benefit from it, while remaining silent about the occupation, humiliation, and shame,” asserting that “this government is the one violating international law, which permits peoples to resist occupations.”

He concluded his statement with a salute to the “resistant people,” saying, “Do not despair or grieve … We love you and are ready to be martyred for you.”