"Patience has limits": Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem warns Israel after year of 'strategic restraint'

Beirut [Lebanon], March 5 (ANI): Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem has stated that the Lebanese resistance movement's recent military actions followed over a year of strategic patience, as the group had "warned repeatedly about the limits" to its capacity for self-restraint against ongoing Israeli aggression, Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported.
During a televised address on Wednesday, Sheikh Qassem detailed the group's commitment to the previous truce.
"For a year and three months, the Israeli and American enemy has continued its aggression. We adhered to the ceasefire agreement of November 27, 2024, alongside the Lebanese state, but Israel did not adhere to a single clause," he asserted.
The movement's leader noted that despite the deal intended to end deadly escalations, the Israeli regime has claimed the lives of approximately 500 people across Lebanon since its conclusion.
Press TV reported that according to Sheikh Qassem, the period also saw more than 10,000 Israeli land, sea, and air violations against Lebanese territory.
Sheikh Qassem explained that Hezbollah initially avoided retaliation to facilitate international mediation.
"We did not respond to repeated Israeli attacks so as not to be accused of obstructing diplomatic efforts, and because responsibility lies with the state," he remarked, noting that these efforts "achieved nothing over fifteen months."
The leader emphasised that the group finally opted to strike back "to dispel any illusion that silence would bring calm."
Press TV further highlighted his warning that, although the movement showed significant endurance, "patience has limits."
The speech followed a series of missile and drone strikes against Israeli military installations, including the Meron air surveillance base and the Nafah base in the occupied Golan Heights.
Sheikh Qassem framed the conflict as a struggle for national integrity, stating, "The problem is the ongoing violation of sovereignty and the Israeli-American occupation at the level of Lebanon's airspace and guardianship."
Critiquing the domestic political stance, he argued that efforts to undermine the movement "weakened the Lebanese state's position and legitimised Israel's freedom to continue aggression."
Citing Benjamin Netanyahu's regional ambitions, he cautioned that "this Israel is an existential threat to us, our people, our homeland, and the entire region."
The Hezbollah chief also defended the group's arsenal as a fundamental necessity.
Press TV reported him as stating that "as long as occupation exists, the resistance and its weapons are a legitimate right" that remains "legally and internationally recognised." (ANI)