Az-Zein clarified, "Our response will come without a doubt; it is inevitable and cannot be cancelled under any circumstances. The claims that we have decided to delay it until after the negotiations on Thursday are worthless nonsense. We are not gambling on any negotiations with Netanyahu, who has previously rejected five ceasefire proposals, some of which were presented by the Americans."
Regarding the delay in the response, Az-Zein said, "The response is the responsibility of the leadership on the ground, and they have the authority to choose the target and timing. The response to the killing of Fuad Shukr and Haniyeh will come, whether from Hezbollah or from the leadership of the Islamic Republic in Tehran. We have decided to adopt a policy of delaying the response—Israel lives under fear and concern of disrupting its daily routine."