Blinken meets Cyprus leader, thanks country for hosting Americans who fled Israel

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is making a short detour on his urgent Middle East diplomacy tour, stopping in Cyprus where he’s meeting the nation’s leader.

The State Department says Blinken is meeting briefly with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos mainly to thank them for Cyprus’s role in temporarily hosting some American citizens who fled from Israel in the first weeks of the Gaza war.

The US chartered at least one cruise liner that took Americans from the port of Haifa to Larnaca as Israel’s military operations against Hamas intensified and the terror group accelerated rocket attacks on Israeli cities and towns following its Octover 7 massacres.

Blinken is on his way to Turkey to meet senior officials tomorrow.

Most Popular
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.