EU member Cyprus calls on Lebanon, Israel to show restraint in Middle East

Cyprus's president called for restraint over escalating tensions in the Middle East in separate telephone conversations with the Lebanese and Israeli prime ministers on Saturday, his spokesperson said in a statement.

The east Mediterranean island is the closest European Union member state to the Middle East, and has good relations with both Lebanon and Israel. Cyprus was ready to act as a conduit for diplomacy as well as facilitate contacts between the sides, said spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis.

There has been a sharp escalation in tensions between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, a dominant force in Lebanon, since explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies killed 39 and maimed thousands of its members this week, and an Israeli airstrike on Friday killed 31 people, including 16 Hezbollah members.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides "expressed his strong concern" at the escalation of tension in the region in phone calls to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu, said Letymbiotis.

"He underlined the need for an immediate end to actions that may lead to further destabilisation but also have wider regional effects," he said.

Christodoulides underscored the importance of solving disputes through dialogue and diplomacy, within the framework of UN resolutions and international law.

"To this end the president referred to the readiness of Cyprus to continue to be a conduit of such efforts, as well as contact between the sides on the basis of excellent relations with all countries in the region," said Letymbiotis. Earlier this year, Cyprus became a bridge in delivering badly-needed humanitarian aid into Israel-beseiged Gaza. It has also said it would assist in an evacuation of civilians from the region if tensions were to escalate.