Dozens of US troops have been deployed to Cyprus to prepare for possible evacuations of American citizens from Lebanon, it was reported on Thursday.

The troops add to a growing tranche of military personnel on the island, following a 700-large force deployed by the UK to Cyprus earlier this week as countries prepare for the worst amid incessant bombing in Lebanon.

Four US officials told CNN they were preparing for a range of contingencies as the threat of an all-out war in the region appeared to be all the more imminent.

A number of Western nations are eyeing Cyprus’ proximity to the region and its EU member status to assist as an evacuation route.

Operations-wise, most contingency planning seems to be by sea, enabling movement of larger groups, but that will be defined by the security situation, a source familiar with the process told Reuters.

It takes about 10 hours to Cyprus from Lebanon by sea, or 40 minutes by plane from Beirut.

Cyprus’ government has assured it is at ‘peak level of preparedness’ for possible evacuations though no requests have been made as of yet.

Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder said earlier this week that the US military would be deploying “a small number of US military personnel forward” to the region “out of an abundance of caution”.

He declined to say how many troops were deployed, where they were sent, and what branch they belonged to, according to CNN.

Contacted by the Cyprus Mail, Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas offered a comment that “these are sensitive issues.”

He added: “In any case, Cyprus has been geopolitically updated, especially after recent developments in the region.”

Another source, who did not wish to be named, told us it was “extremely unlikely” the Americans would use the island as a launch pad.

“If and whenever they transfer personnel to the area for operations, they’d fly them directly to aircraft carriers, no need to pass through Cyprus,” the source said.

On social media, posts circulated claiming that elements of the US 101st Airborne Division may have been the forces deployed to Cyprus – presumably landing at the British bases.

But these were unverified reports, and they could also point to information warfare intended to implicate the island in presumed US combat operations in the Middle East.

Lebanon is bearing the brunt of an Israeli offensive which has led to hundreds of deaths. On Monday alone, 558 people were killed according to Lebanon’s health ministry.

The UN described it as Lebanon’s bloodiest day in a generation.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday warned “hell is breaking loose in Lebanon.” 

Israeli airstrikes this week have targeted Hezbollah leaders and hit hundreds of sites deep inside Lebanon, where hundreds of thousands have fled the border region, while the group has fired barrages of rockets into Israel.

Cyprus’ Peace Council announced a protest at the British bases in Akrotiri warning the country might be targeted.

“The large military activities carried out these days on the ground and air around the Akrotiri bases as well as the large concentration of US military forces in our country to prepare for a broader war, heightens the feeling of concern that Cyprus may become a target for an attack.”

Opposition Akel announced it was backing the protest and would be joining on Sunday at 11am. It called on President Nikos Christodoulides to take decisive action towards the British government.

Cyprus has been reportedly “kept in the dark” over the use of British bases in the Israel-Gaza war, though the UK is not formally required to brief the government on its activities unfolding at the bases which are classed as UK sovereign territory.

Though a number of countries had come together to propose a 21-day ceasefire across the Israel-Lebanon border, Israel shot the proposal down on Thursday.

“We will continue to fight against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation with all our strength until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on X.