[1/4] A girl holds a ballon at the Jewish synagogue in Larnaca, which is coordinating aid to hundreds of Israelis on the island fleeing violence, Cyprus October 12, 2023.
Larnaca, hosting Cyprus's biggest airport, has seen a swell of expatriate Israelis, including reservists, using it as a transit point to get on the next available flight to Tel Aviv.
It has also seen an influx from Israel of people who lost their homes, Chief Rabbi Arie Zeev Raskin said.
Raskin, who has been in Cyprus for more than 20 years, said there were about 2,500 Israelis in the Larnaca area at present, including traumatised children.
An informal network of Israelis were working in every Cypriot city to offer first response aid and accommodation, he said.
Persons:
Yiannis, Rabbi Arie Zeev Raskin, Raskin, Michele Kambas, Jonathan Oatis
Organizations:
REUTERS, Thomson
Locations:
Larnaca, Cyprus, Israel LARNACA, Israel, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Auschwitz, East, Cypriot