The head of European foreign policy, Josep Borrell, said on Monday (24) that the Middle East was close to seeing the conflict expand to Lebanon just days after Iran-backed Hezbollah threatened Cyprus, which is a member country of the European Union.
“The risk of this war affecting southern Lebanon and spreading is increasing every day,” Borrell told journalists before a meeting of foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
“We are on the eve of the expansion of war.”
Iran-backed Hezbollah began attacking Israel shortly after the Hamas attack on October 7 triggered the war in Gaza. Hezbollah said it would not stop until there was a ceasefire in Gaza.
In early June, Hezbollah targeted Israeli cities and military installations with repeated rocket and drone attacks, widening the offensive after an Israeli strike killed a senior Hezbollah commander.
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said last week that no place in Israel would be safe if an all-out war broke out between the two enemies, and also threatened for the first time EU member Cyprus and other parts of the Mediterranean.
“It is absolutely unacceptable to make threats against a sovereign state in the European Union,” said Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis. “We support Cyprus and we will all stand together in all types of global threats coming from terrorist organizations.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the situation between Israel and Hezbollah was very worrying and that she would travel to Lebanon soon.
“A further escalation would be a catastrophe for the people of the region,” she said.
Source: CNN Brasil
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