Hezbollah Sets Its Sights on Cyprus

Hezbollah’s leader, Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, threatened war against the island nation of Cyprus for allowing Israel to conduct “maneuvers in preparation for the Lebanon war.”

What is Hezbollah?

Hezbollah is a political party in Lebanon that has earned the reputation of a “state within a state.” Founded in 1982 during the Lebanese Civil War, the Shi’ite group has alliances with Iran and Syria and controls many Shi’ite-majority areas in Lebanon. The party holds seats in parliament and cabinet positions. According to CSIS, it is the world’s “most heavily armed non-state actor.”

The group’s goals include expelling all Western power and influence from Lebanon, the destruction of the Israeli state, and the creation of an Islamic regime. They have also expressed that their “determination to fight the US is solid.” The U.S. designated Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997.

They began attacking Israel after the outbreak of war in Gaza on Oct. 7 as a “support front” to back Palestinian groups and divert Israeli resources. (READ MORE: With All Eyes on Gaza, Hezbollah Attacks From the North)

Their motto is “Death to Israel.”

Israel and Hezbollah

Israel and Hezbollah continue to exchange strikes. Last week, Hezbollah regional unit officer Abbas Ibrahim Hamza Hamada was killed during an Israeli strike and earlier this month another strike killed the high-ranking Hezbollah commander Taleb Sami Abdullah. Tensions have soared since Hezbollah released a video captured by one of their drones that flew over Haifa, one of Israel’s largest cities.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned Hezbollah and Lebanon of an all-out war during which they would be “destroyed” and “severely beaten” respectively.  

Nasrallah responded that no place in Israel would be safe from Hezbollah. He also specifically threatened to attack Cyrpus and any country assisting Israel’s militarily in their war effort.

Why Cyprus?

The Cypriot government allowed Israel to conduct military exercises in Cyprus in similar terrains as southern Lebanon. The two countries also conducted a joint military drill in 2022 with some of the training focusing on fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Nasrallah claimed that he had information saying Israel was “conducting maneuvers in preparation for the Lebanon war” in Cyprus. He warned Cyprus against opening their military bases and airports to the Israeli military should they go to war with Hezbollah.

Implications

Cyprus expressed incredulity at Hezbollah’s threat. “The Republic of Cyprus is not part of the problem. The Republic of Cyprus is part of the solution,” Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said.

Despite Hezbellah’s vicious threats, Cyprus plays a vital role in humanitarian aid to Gaza. In March, the country began allowing ships to sail from its ports with international aid to Gaza. Cyprus is in “no way involved” in the Middle Eastern conflicts, nor do they have a desire to be.  

Should Cyprus be dragged into the conflict it would be the first time an EU country was directly involved with the Gaza conflict. The EU also stated that “Any threats against our member states are threats against the EU.”

Although Cyprus is not a member of NATO, many EU members are. Should the situation escalate, there would be a chance the United States would also be more directly drawn into the conflict. 

The Lebanese government appears to be attempting to avoid any repercussions from the statements made by Hezbollah. The Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati contacted Christodoulides to thank him for his diplomatic response. Foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib also expressed Lebanon’s “continued reliance” on Cyprus’s role in regional stability.

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