Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati is bracing for war as tensions between Hezbollah and Israel continue to rise.

“We are always advocates of peace, and our choice is peace. Israel must stop its repeated attacks on Lebanon and stop the war in Gaza,” Mikati said on Monday.

“We are with our people. The resistance is doing its duty, the Lebanese government is doing its duty, and our goal is to protect the country in every sense of the word.”

The ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel erupted in the wake of Hamas’ unprovoked massacre against the Jewish state on October 7. Since then, Hezbollah has launched a constant barrage of rockets across the border, causing Israel to warn it will invade Lebanon to dispose of the Iranian-backed terror proxy.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that more IDF troops will be transferred to the north. According to CNN, Israel has begun moving its Iron Dome batteries from away from Gaza to the north in preparation for a possible expanded war against Hezbollah.

Both sides have so far managed to prevent their reciprocal strikes from developing into a full-scale conflict, acknowledging the potentially devastating repercussions. However, that has not stopped several countries, including Germany, Switzerland, and Canada, from warning their citizens to leave Lebanon while there is still time.