More than 2.500 Israelis have taken refuge in Cyprus in recent days with the support of the local Jewish community, the island's chief rabbi said on Thursday, appealing for more accommodation.
Less than 40 minutes by plane from Israel, the city of Larnaca has been welcoming Israelis since Saturday, when armed Hamas fighters broke through the fence encircling the Gaza Strip and launched an unprecedented, bloody incursion into southern Israel
As of Wednesday night, there are no beds available in Larnaca
Larnaca, home to Cyprus' largest airport, acts as a stopover for Israelis living abroad trying to reach Tel Aviv, including military reservists.
The city also welcomes Israelis who lost their homes in the attacks, Chief Rabbi Aryeh Ze'ev Raskin told Reuters.
"Everyone opened their doors, including many, many Cypriots."
Continued arrivals About 2.500 Israelis, among them terrified children, were in Larnaca on Thursday, said Raskin, who has lived in Cyprus for more than 20 years. The brutality of Hamas fighters "is something that goes beyond reason [...] It takes us back to Auschwitz, the Holocaust, images that we hoped we would never see again." "More than 500.000 Jews visited us this year [in Cyprus]. We want to continue to give these people the feeling that it is a place where we are welcome," added the rabbi. He did, however, express concern over two demonstrations this week in Larnaca with Arabs celebrating the recent events. Cypriot authorities are trying to secure accommodation for the Israelis, the rabbi said, but as of Wednesday night there were no beds available in Larnaca. "We are urgently looking for more accommodation than anyone who can provide a bedroom […] We have nowhere to put them to sleep," he said. “Just now I was on the phone and learned that another 150 people are on the way, with no plan of where they will stay, what they will eat and for how long. Nothing". The Israeli community of Cyprus is however looking for accommodation in other cities of Cyprus. "As a community we need to have open arms, embrace everyone and welcome them safely." Source; In.gr