Cyprus Hosts 1,550 People Displaced by Israeli Offensive Against Lebanon
Evacuation of people from Lebanon, Oct. 2024. X/ @TheNationalNews
October 9, 2024 Hour: 8:22 am
Assisted departures from Lebanon began on Sept. 27 and increased last week as Israel intensified its strikes.
On Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Theodoros Gotsis confirmed that the number of foreign nationals evacuated from Lebanon through Cyprus reached 1,550.
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Most evacuees have already returned to their home countries, while accommodations for those awaiting departure are provided in state facilities under the country’s “Estia” plan. Assisted departures from Lebanon began on Sept. 27 and increased last week as Israel intensified its strikes against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon and targeted locations in Beirut.
The majority of the evacuees, 1,069 people, were Australian nationals who arrived on six flights. Two additional flights with an unspecified number of passengers are expected on Tuesday, Gotsis noted. Such flights are likely to extend into Wednesday.
Gotsis also announced that preparations are underway to send medical assistance to Lebanon, adding that Cyprus “considers this to be a fundamental obligation to the people of the neighboring country.”
So far, Israeli occupation forces have injured nearly 10,000 people, killed 2,083 people, and displaced 1.2 million people, according to data from the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Cypriot authorities have prepared facilities to temporarily accommodate up to 7,000 people before they continue onwards to their countries of origin. The country’s Foreign Ministry has called for an immediate ceasefire, stating that such a move “would pave the way for broader de-escalation in Gaza and Lebanon.”
In a message posted on social media platform X, the ministry added that Cyprus will continue to support all efforts aimed at ending the hostilities. As the closest EU country to Lebanon, Cyprus lies just 200 km across the eastern Mediterranean from its shores.
teleSUR/ JF Source: Xinhua
