‘We are friends’ President Nikos Christodoulides told the Israeli President Isaac Herzoc after highlighting the need for de-escalation of the crisis in the region on Saturday evening.
Following his attendance at the International Peace Conference held in Cairo, Egypt, the Cypriot president held separate meetings with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv.
Christodoulides conveyed messages emphasizing the need for de-escalation of the crisis affecting the region, continued humanitarian aid to Gaza, the avoidance of civilian casualties on all sides, and the initiation of a political dialogue that can pave the way for a resolution to the Middle East conflict.
During their meeting, Herzog thanked Christodoulides for travelling to Israel to express his solidarity with the people of Israel.
He added that we are in national mourning for one of the greatest tragedies our nation has faced since independence. And your solidarity means so much to us.
“We are glad that two hostages have been released, but there are more than 210 hostages with dozens of children, dozens of elderly, dozens of sick and of course hundreds of innocent people who were kidnapped and need to be returned safely to Israel unconditionally.”
Herzog added that Israel’s actions are “part of our right to defend ourselves, we are undertaking it in full respect of the rules of international humanitarian law”. He said “that is why we have allowed humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza, to help civilians not under fire, to move, to get help.”
He noted that the country is “watching very closely what is happening on our northern border.”
“Its clear to us, since we are fully alert and focused on whats going on, on the Lebanese side, that the Lebanese state is fully responsible for this situation and will be fully responsible if the situation deteriorates.”
For his part, Christodoulides said that I am here to express the solidarity of the Cypriot people, of the Republic of Cyprus.
He noted that the issue of the hostages is a tragedy and that their immediate release should be the number one priority.
Regarding the 20 trucks with humanitarian aid allowed in Gaza this weekend, the president said this was “a positive development”.
“I am also here because we are in the same neighbourhood, we are friends, your concerns are our concerns, and we are also here as an EU member, and we are sending a strong message about the need for the EU to be present at this very difficult crossroads for our neighbourhood.”
“I am here to discuss, to see how we can find a solution to this crisis.”
Earlier, the president had a meeting with Netanyahu.
During their meeting, the prime minister also expressed his gratitude to Christodoulides for visiting Israel during a particularly challenging period. He recounted the harrowing moments that the Israeli people endured after the terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel.
Netanyahu discussed his recent meetings with the President of the United States and the German Chancellor, highlighting the imperative for the civilized world to unite against terrorism and Hamas.
The meetings were also attended by Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos, Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis and the Director of the Presidents Diplomatic Office, Marilena Rauna.
The president and his entourage returned to Cyprus in the early morning hours on Sunday.
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Mail
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Mail
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