Newsroom
More than 1,600 Israeli nationals boarded the Crown Iris cruise ship from the port of Limassol on Thursday in a large-scale repatriation effort aimed at getting citizens back home amid rising regional tensions.
The vessel, part of Israel’s “Safe Return” operation, had anchored off Limassol overnight after arriving from Larnaca and began boarding passengers Thursday morning around 9:30. Security was tight at the DP World Limassol terminal, with armed Cypriot police present as people arrived by taxis, buses, and private vehicles.
Despite the uncertainty in the region, many passengers expressed a strong desire to return home, driven by love for their families and a sense of duty.
“I’m not afraid. I just want to be with my family,” said one man, who had been in Cyprus on business for ten days. “To be honest, if my family were with me, I’d stay in Cyprus until this war is over.”
A woman who had been in London for her daughter’s birthday said the financial toll had become too much. “We ran out of money. We came to Cyprus from London, and now we’re taking the ship back. I’m scared, but our family is there. We just want to get home and hope things get better.”
Others described complicated travel routes through Greece and Cyprus in order to make it to Limassol. One woman said she was vacationing in Rhodes and had to catch flights to Athens, then Larnaca, and finally take a taxi to reach the ship. “We had no other way to get home,” she said.
Another passenger summed up the mood on board: “You have a beautiful country for vacation, but Israel is my home. I have to go back.”
The Crown Iris is expected to sail later Thursday and will likely complete at least two more repatriation trips in the coming week.
Cyprus also repatriating its own
Meanwhile, the Cypriot government is continuing its own repatriation efforts. Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis confirmed that 31 Cypriots have returned from Israel so far, including patients and their escorts.
Repatriation efforts from Iran are also underway. Six Cypriots who had been in Iran are now in Armenia, with arrangements being made for their return home.
Letymbiotis also noted that 213 foreign nationals have been evacuated through Cyprus as part of the “Estia” humanitarian corridor. The most recent flight arrived from Portugal at 2 a.m., carrying five Cypriots.
No Cypriot patients were reported at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, which was recently struck by Iranian missiles, according to the spokesperson.
As conflict continues to rattle the region, both Israel and Cyprus are working swiftly to bring their citizens home, often through complex, improvised routes that underscore the urgency of the moment.
