“We are fully prepared, and when the time comes for action, we will take it,” says Hezbollah, prepared to join Hamas in war against Israel

The Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon declared on Friday that it is "fully prepared" to join its Palestinian affiliate Hamas in the war against Israel when the time comes.

Hezbollah deputy head Naim Qassem has said that Hamas and Israel have been exchanging heavy fire for the seventh day after hundreds of Hamas militants poured across the border from Gaza into Israel on Saturday, killing over 1,300 people, the majority of whom were civilians. Israel retaliated by bombarding Hamas sites in Gaza, killing at least 1,900 people. Most of them were civilians and included more than 600 children.

"We, as Hezbollah, are contributing to the confrontation and will (continue) to contribute to it within our vision and plan… We are fully prepared, and when the time comes for action, we will take it," said Hezbollah deputy head Naim Qassem addressing a rally in Beirut.

The foreign minister of Iran dismissed appeals for Hezbollah to abstain from the conflict. "Major countries, Arab countries, and envoys from the United Nations, directly and indirectly, asking us not to interfere in the battle, will not affect us,” he said. He went on to say: "Hezbollah knows its duties." In recent days, Israel has exchanged fire with Hezbollah and other Palestinian organizations in Lebanon.

The Israeli Air Force on Saturday said on X, that it had "struck a Hezbollah terror target in southern Lebanon in response to the infiltration of unidentified aerial objects into Israel and fire" on an Israeli drone. The IDF intercepted the intruding aerial item and fired on the drone, according to the statement.

On Friday, more than 1,000 Hezbollah supporters gathered in Beirut's southern suburbs, waving Palestinian flags and banners that read, "May God protect you."​