The Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated today, Tuesday, that "the country is prepared to assist in the evacuation of nationals from third countries who may wish to leave Israel following the sudden attack launched by the Palestinian Islamist movement (Hamas) against it at the beginning of the week." The ministry, in a statement, said: "In this context, the Republic of Cyprus intends to provide facilitation for the repatriation of foreign nationals from Israel via Cyprus."
Today, a Cypriot ministerial committee activated the repatriation plan known as "Estia," which grants temporary residency and assistance to citizens of European Union countries and other nations fleeing crisis areas. In return, several thousand Israelis living in Europe and elsewhere have used Cyprus as a transit point to return to Israel since the onset of the crisis on Saturday.
