Newsroom
A total of 55 Cypriot citizens, 50 in Israel and five in Iran, have formally requested to be repatriated, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Theodoros Gotsis told the Cyprus News Agency on Monday.
According to Gotsis, three Israeli nationals who were escorting patients have managed to cross into Jordan and are now trying to return to Cyprus on a foreign aircraft. Meanwhile, 12 patients and 11 companions remain in Israel, along with 12 Cypriots who live there permanently and 15 others who were visiting for work or tourism when the attacks began.
At this time, direct flights from Israel to Cyprus are not possible due to the security situation. Gotsis noted, however, that over the weekend two patients were successfully airlifted to Cyprus. In total, 58 Cypriots have asked to be evacuated from Israel since hostilities began.
As for the five Cypriots in Iran who are seeking repatriation, Gotsis said there may be progress on their case later in the day.
In a related development, Slovakia and Portugal have also turned to Cyprus for help evacuating their citizens, submitting formal requests through the regional civil protection mechanism known as "Estia." The number of foreign nationals they seek to repatriate via Cyprus has not been disclosed.
The Foreign Ministry is closely monitoring the situation in both countries and continues to coordinate with partners to ensure the safe return of Cypriots stranded abroad.
