Israel Looks to Greece, Cyprus for Military Support Amid Rising Tensions
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Loading... - CHRISTINA BRUCE
- 09 Aug 2024
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As tensions escalate in the Middle East, Israel is considering seeking naval support from Greece and Cyprus in the event of an attack. Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev stated that Israel may ask for help from the Israeli Air Force and ships from Athens in Greece and Larnaca in Cyprus to repatriate stranded Israelis amidst flight cancelations.
Cyprus has reiterated its readiness to act as a "safety bridge" to assist in the evacuations of citizens from the region and has activated its Estia national action plan. However, Hezbollah has warned that it will wage war against Cyprus if the country helps Israel.
The situation is precarious, with analysts anticipating a retaliatory strike against Israel by Hezbollah and Iran after the assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran and Hezbollah military leader Fouad Shoukr during an Israeli operation in southern Beirut.
Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has warned Cyprus that if it allows Israeli forces to use its military infrastructure to target Hezbollah and launch operations from its territory, it would be considered an act of war.
Greece and Cyprus could be embroiled in Israel's conflict, with several countries urging their nationals to leave Lebanon as fears grow of a wider conflict in the Middle East. Greece's Foreign Ministry has urged Greek citizens to refrain from traveling to Lebanon and has set up an emergency hotline to assist Greek citizens affected by the crisis.
A growing number of flights have been canceled or suspended at Beirut's only commercial airport, with Aegean Airlines suspending all flights to and from Tel Aviv until August 6th and to and from Beirut until August 8th due to the unstable conditions in the region.
Iran has vowed "severe" retaliation against Israel, which it blames for the death of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week. Western officials fear that Hezbollah could play a key role in any such retaliation, which in turn could spark a serious Israeli response.
Fears of an escalation of hostilities that could engulf Lebanon are at their highest since Hezbollah stepped up its attacks on Israel. The situation remains volatile, with the potential for further conflict and instability in the region.
