The warning from Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah to Israel was not new, but what stood out in his speech on Wednesday was that his warnings also included Cyprus, the small island nation in the Mediterranean facing the shores of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Nasrallah stated in a speech during a memorial for a senior leader in his party: "We have information that the Israeli army conducts exercises in Cyprus every year in mountainous areas similar to those in Lebanon and its south, using Cypriot airports."
He added: "Israel assumes that in the next war, the resistance in Lebanon will target Israeli airports and airplane runways, so it will rely on using Cypriot airports and bases in its war against Lebanon." Nasrallah continued: "Opening Cypriot airports and bases to the Israeli enemy to target Lebanon means that the Cypriot government is part of the war, and the resistance will treat it as such." These statements come after the Israeli army announced its approval of operational plans for an attack in Lebanon.
What is happening in Cyprus? In April, Israeli army radio reported that the air force conducted exercises in Cypriot airspace simulating an attack on Iran. Channel 12 reported, citing military sources, that the drills aimed to prepare defensive and offensive systems to respond to any Iranian attack. Senior military officials in the Israeli army stressed that the army is prepared for any military operation on any front, and that the exercises in Cyprus aim to train the air force, which has been busy executing operations in Gaza and Lebanon. This prompted Nasrallah to issue threats against Cyprus.
The Cypriot ambassador to Israel, Cornelius Cornelio, told "Walla!" that "when someone like this threatens, we will certainly respond," noting that "we are working in close coordination with Israel." Cornelio emphasized that they "are waiting for the official reaction from Nicosia regarding Nasrallah's threats." When asked if he was surprised by Nasrallah's threats, he replied, "Yes and no. The relations between Israel and Cyprus have never been this strong, and that's all on the surface." He added, "We are trying to play a modest role in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza in close coordination with Israel. I am sure that all of this is unwelcome by Hezbollah." He continued, "If we check the number of flights between the two countries, we would be surprised. Tomorrow there will be 19 flights to Cyprus. It is very strong on the agenda of tourism, business, and politics in Israel."
