Kataeb Lawmaker Nadim Gemayel, considered that Hezbollah's military exercise carries a message of defiance for the Lebanese government rather than for Israel.

“What happened is a provocation to all Lebanese. We call on the Lebanese army and the government to take a clear stance towards the military parade and violation of the Lebanese sovereignty,” Gemayel said in an interview with Asharq al-Awsat.

He considered that not taking any official stance towards what happened means allowing every Lebanese to carry arms to defend himself, as well as confront Israel.

"At that point, I will call on our supporters to carry visible weapons and not to stop at the checkpoints because we are supposed to be equal, and therefore we are not concerned with the existence of the state nor the army,” he stated.

“Hezbollah's military maneuver carries a message of defiance for the Lebanese government rather than for Israel and comes within the framework of a series of imposing power, intimidation, and terror that began with what is known as (May 7) and a threat to anyone who refuses to comply with the party's decision, including the presidential elections, which it considers a detail in terms of its complete domination over the Lebanese State,” he pointed out.