A leading figure in Lebanon's governing coalition has stepped up the rhetoric against the opposition Hezbollah movement, warning of anarchy and raising the specter of another civil war.
Walid Jumblatt, the Druze leader whose party is in the pro-government March 14 camp, issued a televised challenge to Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader.
"Our existence, dignity and survival, and Lebanon, are the most important things of all," he said on Sunday.
"If you want chaos, we welcome chaos. If you want war, we welcome one."
Assassinations, the arming of militia groups and a continued vacuum in the presidency would "drag all to anarchy", Jumblatt said in the televised address, singling out Nasrallah for criticism.
The rival sides in Lebanon's long-running political crisis have agreed on General Michel Suleiman, the head of the Lebanese army, as the country's next president, but his election has been held up by a dispute over the make-up of a new government.
The parliamentary vote on his appointment was postponed on Saturday for the 14th time.
"If you think that we will stand with our hands tied, this is pure imagination", Jumblatt said.
His speech came just days before a mass rally planned on Thursday for the third anniversary of the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister.
Naim Salem, a political analyst from Notre Dame university told Al Jazeera that Jumblatt's comments reflect a shift from how he previously viewed Hezbollah.
He said: "He used to respect Hezbollah, now he has shown that he is against them and [Hassan] Nasrallah."
"It seems the political divide in Lebanon has reached a point of no return. I am afraid this may result in a violent confrontation."
Unapologetic
Sherine Tadros, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Beirut, said that Jumblatt was aware that what he said was an escalation of tensions, and he was certainly not apologetic for it.
"This is really the first time that Walid Jumblatt ... essentially talks about war. He talked about being ready for war and ready for chaos in very blunt and provocative terms.
"He also talked about Hezbollah, talking directly to Hassan Nasrallah [in his speech], instead of what we're usually used to hearing, which is March 14 directing their harsh comments towards Syria and Iran.
"He said he was ready to take away Hezbollah's Katusha rockets, when the disarming of Hezbollah is a very sensitive subject in Lebanon.
Shia Muslim Hezbollah is considered the strongest faction in Lebanon with command of a well-trained guerrilla army, but the group says its weapons are only for use against Israel.
Tadros said Hezbollah considers the remarks inflammatory but has yet to issue an official response.
"A lot of people will be watching to see whether Hezbollah will have a harder line now for the government," she said.
PHOTO CAPTION
Hassan Nasrallah (left) and Michel Aoun