Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Thursday reacted to Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah’s threats of targeting Cyprus should the country continue working with Israel.
The Lebanese Hezbollah leader said in a televised address yesterday that Cyprus could become “part of the war” and a target if it continued offering its airports and bases to Israel for military purposes.
In response, Katz wrote in a post on X, “Nasrallah threatens to attack Cyprus. Iranian missiles and extremist Islamic terrorism threaten European countries and the entire free world.”
He added: “We must stop Iran now before it’s too late.”
Nasrallah threatens to attack Cyprus. Iranian missiles and extremist Islamic terrorism threaten European countries and the entire free world.
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) June 20, 2024
We must stop Iran now before it's too late.@secblinken @David_Cameron @ABaerbock @steph_sejourne @Antonio_Tajani
Israel and Cyprus have a bilateral defence cooperation agreement and regularly conduct joint exercises.
Nasrallah’s statements came a day after Israeli generals said they had signed off on planning for a wider offensive against Hezbollah.
Cyprus’s President Nikos Christodoulides reiterated that the country is not “in any way involved in a military conflict” and added that it should be seen “as part of the solution, not the problem” in regional tensions.
He was speaking about his government’s initiative of setting up a base in Cyprus to transfer international humanitarian aid to Gaza.
When asked if Cyprus maintains communication with Hezbollah and the Lebanese government, he confirmed that diplomatic channels remain open with both.
On Thursday, Cyprus’s Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis confirmed that anti-terrorism security measures are being reevaluated following Nasrallah’s threat.
(Picture EPA/Robert Hegedus)
