Poland’s foreign ministry has said it stands ready to evacuate Poles if the situation worsens between Israel and Lebanon after a deadly strike at the weekend in the Golan Heights that Jerusalem and Washington have attributed to Hezbollah.
Twelve young Israelis between the ages of 10 and 20 were killed on Saturday when a missile struck a soccer ground in the town of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. Although the U.S. and Israel have attributed the attack to Lebanon-based Islamist group Hezbollah, the organization has denied responsibility.
As tensions rose between Israel and Lebanon over the attack, Polish foreign ministry spokesman Paweł Wroński told state news agency PAP that Warsaw was prepared for the worst and was ready to evacuate its citizens from the area.
“No one wishes for war and human suffering," Wroński said on Monday. "However, if it comes to this, Poland is ready to help and has a number of scenarios prepared. Various scenarios have been practiced many times and are being practiced among NATO allies.
"We know there's a group of about 500 people with whom our diplomatic missions are in contact for various reasons should it come to the worst, to some hostilities," he continued. "In the event of a conflict or a threat appearing at any time to these citizens, Poland is ready to evacuate them under various scenarios," he said.
‘A heavy price’
The Israeli army has said the attack with an Iranian-made rocket was the most deadly since fighting on the Israel-Lebanon border began on October 8, the Times of Israel reported.
The paper quoted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office as saying the Iran-backed militants would be hit hard in response.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu made clear that Israel will not allow the murderous attack to simply pass on by, and that Hezbollah will pay a heavy price for this that it has not paid until this point,” his office said following talks between the premier and the spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community, Sheikh Muafak Tarif.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also told Tarif that Israel would “strike the enemy hard.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz went a step further, warning of a full-blown confrontation. He said Jerusalem was working internationally to “obtain support and legitimacy for Israeli action in Lebanon, and to point the finger directly at Iran,” adding that Israel was “approaching the moment of an all-out war against Hezbollah and Lebanon.”
Tehran warns of ‘consequences’
Tehran has also entered the dispute, warning of “consequences” for any Israeli military “adventures” over the attack.
“Any ignorant action of the Zionist regime can lead to the broadening of the scope of instability, insecurity and war in the region,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani was quoted by the Times of Israel as saying. He added that Israel would be responsible for “the unforeseen consequences and reactions to such stupid behavior.”
Poland’s foreign ministry has long advised its citizens against traveling to Lebanon.
“Due to the ongoing conflict in the region and the unstable situation in the south of the country and periodic exchanges of fire, as well as the increasingly frequent cases of detention of foreigners, including Polish citizens, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against all travel to Lebanon,” a statement on the ministry’s website reads.
“The security situation in Lebanon is highly unpredictable. It cannot be ruled out that there will be a sudden escalation of military operations and possible restrictions on air traffic, which could cause difficulties in leaving the country."
As tensions rose between Israel and Lebanon over the attack, Polish foreign ministry spokesman Paweł Wroński told state news agency PAP that Warsaw was prepared for the worst and was ready to evacuate its citizens from the area.
“No one wishes for war and human suffering," Wroński said on Monday. "However, if it comes to this, Poland is ready to help and has a number of scenarios prepared. Various scenarios have been practiced many times and are being practiced among NATO allies.
"We know there's a group of about 500 people with whom our diplomatic missions are in contact for various reasons should it come to the worst, to some hostilities," he continued. "In the event of a conflict or a threat appearing at any time to these citizens, Poland is ready to evacuate them under various scenarios," he said.
‘A heavy price’
The Israeli army has said the attack with an Iranian-made rocket was the most deadly since fighting on the Israel-Lebanon border began on October 8, the Times of Israel reported.
The paper quoted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office as saying the Iran-backed militants would be hit hard in response.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu made clear that Israel will not allow the murderous attack to simply pass on by, and that Hezbollah will pay a heavy price for this that it has not paid until this point,” his office said following talks between the premier and the spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community, Sheikh Muafak Tarif.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also told Tarif that Israel would “strike the enemy hard.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz went a step further, warning of a full-blown confrontation. He said Jerusalem was working internationally to “obtain support and legitimacy for Israeli action in Lebanon, and to point the finger directly at Iran,” adding that Israel was “approaching the moment of an all-out war against Hezbollah and Lebanon.”
Tehran warns of ‘consequences’
Tehran has also entered the dispute, warning of “consequences” for any Israeli military “adventures” over the attack.
“Any ignorant action of the Zionist regime can lead to the broadening of the scope of instability, insecurity and war in the region,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani was quoted by the Times of Israel as saying. He added that Israel would be responsible for “the unforeseen consequences and reactions to such stupid behavior.”
Poland’s foreign ministry has long advised its citizens against traveling to Lebanon.
“Due to the ongoing conflict in the region and the unstable situation in the south of the country and periodic exchanges of fire, as well as the increasingly frequent cases of detention of foreigners, including Polish citizens, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against all travel to Lebanon,” a statement on the ministry’s website reads.
“The security situation in Lebanon is highly unpredictable. It cannot be ruled out that there will be a sudden escalation of military operations and possible restrictions on air traffic, which could cause difficulties in leaving the country."
Source: PAP, The Times of ISrael
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