Cyprus on Thursday said it stands ready to assist with the evacuation of foreign civilians from Lebanon, in the event of an escalation in the brewing conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah militia. “We are ready to help if necessary,” government spokesman Giannis Antoniou told dpa on Thursday. The embassies of numerous European Union member states have already contacted the Cypriot government to discuss details of possible evacuations, Antoniou said. Cyprus – the EU member state located nearest the Middle East – has repeatedly served as a hub for aid and evacuation operations during crises …