A new conflict has erupted in the Middle East. On June 4, 2024, Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on northern Israel reignited tensions in the region and targeted Southern Cyprus. This development threatens the security of Cyprus, a member of the European Union, with the European Commission describing the threat as an attack on the entire bloc. This conflict is altering geopolitical balances and deepening humanitarian crises, further destabilizing the region. Details and analyses are in this article.
News – Analysis
On October 7, 2023, 8 months have passed since Hamas attacked a concert in Israel, followed by Israel’s war crimes-laden defense with no regard for civilians. Israel has received justified condemnation from organizations such as the United Nations and the European Union, and international public support has shifted in favor of Palestine, as evidenced by mass protests both inside and outside Israel. The goals and consequences of Israel’s military operations have attracted the attention of all those who care about human rights around the world and have led many governments to take actions such as recognizing Palestine and bringing Israel to justice.
In a city like Jerusalem where is highly principal for Abrahamic religions, of course, it was not expected that the conflict, part of which is taking place in a city like Jerusalem, would not affect the world. US aid, the involvement of different groups other than Hamas and Israel in the conflict, different voices within Europe, trade disruptions in the Red Sea, etc. These developments have seriously altered the geopolitical balance in the region and affected trade. In addition to the impact on the global economy, this conflict has deepened instability in the region and led to an increase in humanitarian crises.
While all this was going on, the Hezbollah-Israel threat that emerged in June 2024 was also noted by the United Nations with the comment “The world cannot afford a second Gaza”. This concern of other countries, including the UN, emphasized that the tension in the region is not only between Israel and Palestine, but has reached a dimension that threatens global peace and security and will affect other countries such as Lebanon.
On June 4, 2024, Hezbollah rocket attacks targeting northern Israel caused forest fires and smoke inhalation. This was the Israeli response to Hezbollah, which had already been in conflict with Israel since October 7. It was possible to see the attacks of both sides on June 4 and the following days as the situation rapidly escalated into a hot confrontation.
Cypriot President Nicos Christodoulides rejected any involvement in a possible war, saying it was incompatible with attempts to create the image of Southern Cyprus being involved in combat operations. Peter Stano, a spokesman for the European Commission, said that any threat to Cyprus was a threat to the bloc’s 26 other member states.
While relations between Southern Cyprus and Israel have been positive, with cooperation on the Eastern Mediterranean natural gas issue, a trade volume of more than $1 billion and military exercises, it is unlikely that Southern Cyprus, which has the support of the European Union, will spoil its relations with Israel.
With the Ukraine-Russia war, the Israeli-Palestinian war, tensions in the Pacific, uncertain US elections and humanitarian tragedies already affecting foreign policy stability, an Israeli-Lebanese escalation would be nothing short of disastrous.
Photo: shutterstock
References
https://x.com/AJABreaking/status/1798011384070111736
