PARIS, June 24 (Reuters) – European foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday that the Middle East was close to seeing the conflict expanding into Lebanon just days after Iran-backed Hezbollah threatened EU member Cyprus.
“The risk of this war effecting the south of Lebanon and spilling over is every day bigger,” Borrell told reporters ahead of a foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg.
“We are on the eve of the war expanding.”
Israel: Lebanon, Hezbollah, Iran Bear Full Responsibility for Border Flare-up
Iran-backed Hezbollah began attacking Israel shortly after Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault sparked the war in Gaza. Hezbollah has said it would not stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
Earlier in June, Hezbollah targeted Israeli towns and military sites with the largest volleys of rockets and drones in the hostilities so far, after an Israeli strike killed the most senior Hezbollah commander yet.
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah last week said that nowhere in Israel would be safe if a full-fledged war breaks out between the two foes, and also threatened EU member Cyprus for the first time and other parts of the Mediterranean.
“It is absolutely unacceptable to make threats against a sovereign state of the European Union,” Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said. “We stand by Cyprus and we will all be together in all kinds of global threats coming from terrorist organisations.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the situation between Israel and Hezbollah was very worrying and she would travel to Lebanon soon.
“A further escalation would be a catastrophe for people in the region” she said.
(Reporting by John Irish and Tassilo Hummel, Editing by Louise Heavens and Miral Fahmy)
