Tel Aviv [Israel], June 21: While the Israeli army continues to penetrate the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon threatens to attack throughout Israel if a full-scale war breaks out between the two sides, and Cyprus is no exception.
Hezbollah announced that it would put the entire territory of Israel in its sights after the Tel Aviv government confirmed it had approved the plan to attack Lebanon, according to Reuters yesterday.
Hezbollah's warning
Speaking on al-Manar television on June 19, the leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah announced that this force's missiles and drones will bombard targets throughout Israel. when the conflict between the two sides escalated to a full-scale war.
Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas forces in Gaza, said it has a list of targets that can deliver precision attacks, including targets in the Mediterranean, according to AFP. Leader Nasrallah also threatened to attack Cyprus, an EU member, if the island government allowed Israel to use airports or bases to attack Lebanon. Cyprus currently has two bases, including an air force base, but both are under the control of the British military.
The speech also marked the first time Cyprus has been the target of attacks by Hezbollah since the conflict broke out between Hamas forces and Israel in Gaza. Cyprus is about 200 km from Lebanon and since 2014 has regularly held joint military exercises with Israel.
Faced with the above threat, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides denied his country's involvement in the expanding conflict in the Middle East. According to the leader, Cyprus is part of the effort to find a solution for regional peace and contributes to participating in the maritime humanitarian corridor to bring aid to Gaza.
Gaza continues to burn red
While the risk of an expanded conflict between Hezbollah and Israel is increasing, AFP quoted Palestinian residents and medical staff as saying that Israeli tanks, supported by fighters and drones, advanced deeply on June 19. further west of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.
Local residents said that Israeli tanks entered five areas after midnight. The place where the refugees' tents were set up in Al-Mawasi was hit by mortars and bombarded, causing many deaths. Reuters also quoted medical staff as recording 12 Palestinian deaths when the Israeli army attacked a group of civilians and traders in southern Gaza. They died while waiting for a convoy carrying aid to pass through the Kerem Shalom border gate into Rafah.
At dawn yesterday, Israeli forces simultaneously bombarded central Gaza, killing three people and injuring dozens. Reuters reported that Israeli fighters fired missiles at a house in Al-Nuseirat refugee camp, killing 2 people and injuring 12, while tanks shelled Al-Maghazi and Al-Bureij refugee camps. , resulting in many injuries. In the city of Deir al-Balah, also in central Gaza, on June 20, Israel also conducted air strikes there.
The Israeli army confirmed that it is continuing to deploy military operations across Gaza. However, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, spokesman for the Israeli military, surprised him by admitting that the country cannot eliminate Hamas. "If we do not provide an alternative solution, in the end Hamas will still exist," Rear Admiral Hagari said on Israel's Channel 13 on June 19.
The above statement immediately met with a reaction from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. The Tel Aviv government emphasized that the Gaza campaign will not end until it completely defeats and uproots Hamas forces.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
