Ceasefire with Iran gives Israelis a chance to return from temporary Cyprus haven


Tariq Tahir
  • English
  • Arabic

Police at Limassol’s port in Cyprus were nervous as Israelis who had sought a haven and were stranded by weeks of airline disruption gradually arrived on Thursday to board a cruise ship that would take them home.

Many had spent weeks away from home after Israel closed its airspace to commercial flights, but were now boarding the cruise ship Crown Iris, bound for Ashdod port. This will be its final repatriation voyage as operations at Ben Gurion resume. The 11-deck Panamanian-registered ship has ferried 2,000 to Israel on each of its trips.

Israelis are purchasing real estate in sensitive areas that pose a threat to national security
Stefanos Stefanou

On the dockside concourse some polite, if slightly stressed local Cypriot officers took passport details and made a few calls to their bosses. There have been reports of Iranian-linked sleeper agents on the island and last week police arrested a suspect conducting surveillance against the nearby British airbase, RAF Akrotiri. A statement said a British citizen was being investigated for ties to an Iranian plot to attack the base.

Once they have taken details, the senior officer of the three apologetically nodded in the direction of the ship and said: “You understand this is sensitive.” He then made it clear that reporting from the site “is over”.

The voyages were organised by Israeli national airline El Al and came as flights began leaving Cyprus for Israel after it began the phased reopening its airspace following a ceasefire with Iran.

Israel first closed its airspace on June 13 when its troops launched their attack on Iran, leaving and 100,000 to 150,000 Israelis stranded abroad.

At her hotel, while was preparing for the voyage, stranded El Al passenger Nesher Drohah told The National she had been out of Israel since June 6.

“We travelled to Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania and we were meant to be there until June 18 when the war broke out,” she said. “But we’ve been stuck in Tirana until two days ago so now we're here to go home by boat.”

Ms Drohah said she was anxious to return to Israel after people she knows had a narrow escape from an Iranian missile but lost their home.

“He’s OK but the house is not OK, the car is not OK,” she said. “For that reason we were trying to fly back to get home fast and I hope tomorrow we will be home.”

Ms Drohah said she backed the decision by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to launch an attack on Iran. "Iran is dangerous for all over the world but for us the most," she said.

Nesher Drohah is sailing back to Israel on a chartered cruise liner. Tariq Tahir / The National
Nesher Drohah is sailing back to Israel on a chartered cruise liner. Tariq Tahir / The National

Cyprus has become a key transit point for Israelis wanting to return home at a time when there are no direct flights, and for foreign nationals looking to escape the conflict. They include UK citizens first evacuated by the Royal Air Force to Akrotiri airbase, along the same peninsula as Limassol’s port.

There are frequent flights to Cyprus from Israel, as a result of the island’s popularity as a tourist destination for Israelis. In times of tension, including the months since the October 7, 2023 assault by Hamas that led to Israel's Gaza operation, Cyprus has been a point of refuge.

The spillover from the Israeli assault on Gaza has seen a steady flow of Israelis arriving in Cyprus. While there is a ceasefire with Iran, the warplanes, drones and artillery attacks continue against the Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Cyprus chief rabbi Arie Zeev Raskin has said that about 6,500 Israelis were in Cyprus after leaving the war zone for the East Mediterranean island, the closest European nation to Israel. Others had travelled there to catch flights or boat trips back to their country.

Many Israelis have now settled in Cyprus and bought property there. There are now six Chabad houses, which are community centres and places of worship, on the island.

'Targeted purchases'

The presence of Israelis has provoked a backlash. This week, local political party Akel criticised those who were buying land on the island.

Stefanos Stefanou, the left-wing party’s leader, accused Israelis of making “targeted purchases” of land with the aim of creating gated communities in Larnaca and Limassol. “Our country is being taken away from us,” he said. “Israelis are purchasing real estate in sensitive areas that pose a threat to national security.”

The Chabad House in Limassol has been providing shelter for Israelis. The National
The Chabad House in Limassol has been providing shelter for Israelis. The National

The party has put forward legislation in parliament aimed at restricting "golden visas", which are issued to non-EU nationals for an investment of at least €300,000 ($351,000) in real estate or company shareholding.

Mr Stefanou appeared to focus on Israelis buying land, claiming “Zionist schools are being built” and quoting what he said were media reports “suggesting that Israel is preparing a ‘backyard’ in Cyprus”.

At Limassol’s Chabad house, Rabbi Yitzchok Lapidus told The National that recently he has seen an increase in “anti-Semitic graffiti”.

He is one of three rabbis living there with their wives, under the leadership of Rabbi Yair Baitz.

Rabbi Yitzchok Lapidus in Cyprus. The National
Rabbi Yitzchok Lapidus in Cyprus. The National

But Rabbi Lapidus's mind has been focused on providing food and shelter for the “thousands” of Israelis, most of whom have come through the doors of the Chabad houses in Cyprus.

A traditional Israeli breakfast of fried eggs, salad and bread was laid on in the cafe next door just in case any travellers arrived that morning.

The cruise ship Crown Iris on the first of two voyages to carry stranded Israelis off Cyprus. AP
The cruise ship Crown Iris on the first of two voyages to carry stranded Israelis off Cyprus. AP

Such has been the desperation of Israelis to get home, many have resorted to unusual methods, explained the Rabbi.

“They tried to go to Israel by yacht, by helicopter. There are a lot of families who were stuck here and need help to get out because of an emergency. People needed medicine, there were pregnant women,” he told The National.

“Some of them went for one day or for business and they were stuck for a week, two weeks.

Cruise ship Crown Iris taking Israelis back home after airspace was closed. Photo: Tariq Tahir / The National
Cruise ship Crown Iris taking Israelis back home after airspace was closed. Photo: Tariq Tahir / The National

“The people who were stuck here, we gave them food, whatever they needed, a place to sleep for free.”

In the marina area of the city, one yacht charterer confirmed that her company had leased boats to Israelis.

“It was our company that did most of this. There was a lot of demand last week and through the weekend, but that’s now over as people can get flights.”

Another yacht charter company said it turned down requests by Israelis to charter boats.

“We had a lot of inquiries from people who wanted to go to Israel but we decided it would be too risky because of the war, but I know others were happy to.”

Omer Gonen is one of the unlucky ones who was only meant to be out of Israel for weekend. He went to Limassol with his wife and two children, along with their friends, two weekends ago but has been stuck here.

“We just wanted a weekend holiday but we’re still here,” he said. “We’re now booked on a very expensive flight on Saturday. It’s good to be going home now, but it’s been terrible here.”

Sitting on the floor with his two friends at Larnaca airport, Uriel, 24, from Jerusalem, explained they had just been released from the army and were about to return from a holiday in Tbilisi, in Georgia when they became stuck.

“We had been on holiday for two to three weeks and then we got stuck,” he said. “We came from Tbilisi to here because it’s easy for us to get a visa.” Uriel said he and his friends were about to board a special flight organised by a wealthy Israeli, which was exempt from the ban on commercial flights.

He said their families “were in the safest place but it’s still a worry” but he added “we’ve had two-and-a-half years of war”.

Meanwhile, the first RAF flight set off from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon carrying 63 British passengers, who landed in Cyprus and were then flown back to Birmingham Airport where they arrived in the early hours of Tuesday.

In the days since, more Britons have made the journey home as part of the government's evacuation strategy.

Meanwhile, the US has helped about 400 of its citizens and others to fly out of Israel since Saturday and hopes to accommodate more in the coming days, a senior State Department official said.

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Jawan
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ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures

October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA

RACECARD
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The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
TEAMS

US Team
Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth
Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger
Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler
Kevin Kisner, Patrick Reed
Matt Kuchar, Kevin Chappell
Charley Hoffman*, Phil Mickelson*

International Team
Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day 
Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen
Marc Leishman, Charl Schwartzel
Branden Grace, Si Woo Kim
Jhonattan Vegas, Adam Hadwin
Emiliano Grillo*, Anirban Lahiri*

denotes captain's picks

 

 

On Instagram: @WithHopeUAE

Although social media can be harmful to our mental health, paradoxically, one of the antidotes comes with the many social-media accounts devoted to normalising mental-health struggles. With Hope UAE is one of them.
The group, which has about 3,600 followers, was started three years ago by five Emirati women to address the stigma surrounding the subject. Via Instagram, the group recently began featuring personal accounts by Emiratis. The posts are written under the hashtag #mymindmatters, along with a black-and-white photo of the subject holding the group’s signature red balloon.
“Depression is ugly,” says one of the users, Amani. “It paints everything around me and everything in me.”
Saaed, meanwhile, faces the daunting task of caring for four family members with psychological disorders. “I’ve had no support and no resources here to help me,” he says. “It has been, and still is, a one-man battle against the demons of fractured minds.”
In addition to With Hope UAE’s frank social-media presence, the group holds talks and workshops in Dubai. “Change takes time,” Reem Al Ali, vice chairman and a founding member of With Hope UAE, told The National earlier this year. “It won’t happen overnight, and it will take persistent and passionate people to bring about this change.”

PRISCILLA
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Results

6pm: Dubai Trophy – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m 

Winner: Silent Speech, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby
(trainer) 

6.35pm: Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m 

Winner: Island Falcon, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor 

7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Dirt)
1,400m 

Winner: Rawy, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer 

7.45pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m 

Winner: Desert Fire, Hector Crouch, Saeed bin Suroor 

8.20pm: Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m 

Winner: Naval Crown, William Buick, Charlie Appleby 

8.55pm: Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m 

Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watsons 

9.30pm: Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m 

Winner: Dubai Icon, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor  

ICC men's cricketer of the year

2004 - Rahul Dravid (IND) ; 2005 - Jacques Kallis (SA) and Andrew Flintoff (ENG); 2006 - Ricky Ponting (AUS); 2007 - Ricky Ponting; 2008 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI); 2009 - Mitchell Johnson (AUS); 2010 - Sachin Tendulkar (IND); 2011 - Jonathan Trott (ENG); 2012 - Kumar Sangakkara (SL); 2013 - Michael Clarke (AUS); 2014 - Mitchell Johnson; 2015 - Steve Smith (AUS); 2016 - Ravichandran Ashwin (IND); 2017 - Virat Kohli (IND); 2018 - Virat Kohli; 2019 - Ben Stokes (ENG); 2021 - Shaheen Afridi

The schedule

December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club

December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq

December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm

December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition

December 13: Falcon beauty competition

December 14 and 20: Saluki races

December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm

December 16 - 19: Falconry competition

December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am

December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am

December 22: The best herd of 30 camels

T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

Qualifier A, Muscat

(All matches to be streamed live on icc.tv) 

Fixtures

Friday, February 18: 10am Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain 

Saturday, February 19: 10am Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain 

Monday, February 21: 10am Ireland v Germany, UAE v Bahrain; 2pm Nepal v Canada, Oman v Philippines 

Tuesday, February 22: 2pm Semi-finals 

Thursday, February 24: 2pm Final 

UAE squad:Ahmed Raza(captain), Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Rahul Bhatia

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Results

6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200m

Winner: Barack Beach, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).

7.05pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner: Way Of Wisdom, Connor Beasley, Satish Seemar.

7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,900m

Winner: Woodditton, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash.

8.15pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 2,000m

Winner: Secret Trade, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

8.50pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner: Mark Of Approval, Antonio Fresu, Mahmood Hussain.

9.25pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 2,000m

Winner: Tradesman, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)

Date started: August 2021

Founder: Nour Sabri

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace

Size: Two employees

Funding stage: Seed investment

Initial investment: $200,000

Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East) 

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Fireball

Moscow claimed it hit the largest military fuel storage facility in Ukraine, triggering a huge fireball at the site.

A plume of black smoke rose from a fuel storage facility in the village of Kalynivka outside Kyiv on Friday after Russia said it had destroyed the military site with Kalibr cruise missiles.

"On the evening of March 24, Kalibr high-precision sea-based cruise missiles attacked a fuel base in the village of Kalynivka near Kyiv," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.

Ukraine confirmed the strike, saying the village some 40 kilometres south-west of Kyiv was targeted.

How it works

Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com

AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street

The seven points are:

Shakhbout bin Sultan Street

Dhafeer Street

Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)

Salama bint Butti Street

Al Dhafra Street

Rabdan Street

Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)

Brief scores:

Toss: India, opted to field

Australia 158-4 (17 ov)

Maxwell 46, Lynn 37; Kuldeep 2-24

India 169-7 (17 ov)

Dhawan 76, Karthik 30; Zampa 2-22

Result: Australia won by 4 runs by D/L method

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

The%20specs
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The Book of Collateral Damage

Sinan Antoon

(Yale University Press)

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:

Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona

Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate

Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid

Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford

Persuasion
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarrie%20Cracknell%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDakota%20Johnson%2C%20Cosmo%20Jarvis%2C%20Richard%20E%20Grant%2C%20Henry%20Golding%20and%20Nikki%20Amuka-Bird%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

HIJRA

Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy

Director: Shahad Ameen

Rating: 3/5

Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Brief scoreline:

Liverpool 2

Keita 5', Firmino 26'

Porto 0

Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas

Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa

Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong

Rating: 3/5

Company%20Profile
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FFP EXPLAINED

What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.

What the rules dictate? 
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.

What are the penalties? 
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.

RESULTS

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m
Winner: Arjan, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m​​​​​​​
Winner: Jap Nazaa, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi.

6pm: Al Ruwais Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 1,200m​​​​​​​
Winner: RB Lam Tara, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinal.

6.30pm: Shadwell Gold Cup Prestige Dh125,000 1,600m​​​​​​​
Winner: AF Sanad, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.

7pm: Shadwell Farm Stallions Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m​​​​​​​
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Patrick Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi.

7.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 1,600m​​​​​​​
Winner: Dubai Canal, Harry Bentley, Satish Seemar.

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHakbah%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENaif%20AbuSaida%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaudi%20Arabia%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E22%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-Series%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%20and%20Aditum%20Investment%20Management%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: June 26, 2025, 10:36 PM`