NICOSIA – Rattled by threats from the Lebanon-based Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group that claimed Cyprus was aiding Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip in a hunt for Hamas terrorists, Cyprus said it would not get involved in the conflict.

Cypriot Ambassador to Lebanon Maria Hadjitheodosiou told Fadi Alameh, Chairman of Lebanon’s Parliament Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Committee that, “we affirm our country’s position regarding not allowing the use of Cypriot lands as a launching platform for a military invasion against Lebanon,” she told him, according to the news site PressTV.

They discussed the security situation in southern Lebanon, the extent of damage resulting from clashes along the border between the Arab country and the 1948 Israeli-occupied territories, and Lebanon’s adherence to a United Nations Security Resolution which ended a 33-day 2006 Israeli attack, the report said.

The Cypriot Ambassador said she hoped for “a political settlement to end the current situation,” after Cyprus’s government expressed surprise that Hezbollah warned there would be consequences if Cyprus aided the Israelis.

Cyprus is the launching point, however, for international humanitarian aid being sent to Palestinians trapped in Gaza during the invasion that has killed almost 37,000 civilians and shows no signs of letting up.

Israel attacked in the weeks after an Oct. 7, 2023 raid by Hamas forces killed more than 1,200 people, most of them civilians, including children and babies who were butchered, beheaded, and burned alive and the terrorists celebrating on videos.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also accused Cyprus of being an “operation center” for the invasion. Turkey, occupying the northern third of Cyprus for 50 years, backs the Hezbollah terrorists it calls freedom fighters “We frequently see in intelligence reports that certain countries use the Greek-Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus as a base, particularly for offensives in Gaza,” Fidan told Turkey’s HaberTurk TV.

“When you become a part of the ongoing wars in the Middle East, this fire will come and find you too. And as we share the same geography, it will then come and hit us too. Our advice to them is to stay away from the conflict,” Fidan also stated.

That came after the Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, warned Cyprus about opening its airports and bases to Israel in the event of a new war on Lebanon.

“Opening Cypriot airports and bases to the Israeli enemy to target Lebanon would mean that the Cypriot government is part of the war, and the resistance will deal with it as part of the war,” Nasrallah stated.

The United Kingdom, the former Colonial ruler of the island, still has military bases on Cyprus over which the Greek-Cypriot government has no jurisdiction and said it has no part in any actions against Hamas.

Nasrallah threatened Cyprus earlier and alleged the group was told that Israel could use Cyprus’ airports and bases if Hezbollah struck Israeli airports. “That “would mean that the Cypriot government is part of the war, and the resistance will deal with it as part of the war,” Nasrallah said, his group firing rockets into Israel to back Hamas, whose leaders are hiding among civilians.

His remarks came in response to the Israeli military’s announcement that “operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved,” but didn’t elaborate or say if Cyprus would face any terrorist attacks. Cyprus and Israel are making energy deals and getting closer in their relations.