Two large protests organized by the Cyprus Peace Council were held in Cyprus on Thursday, opposing the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

The first demonstration took place at the Larnaca Airport roundabout, while the second was held near the presidential palace in Nicosia.

Participants included representatives from the Russian Citizens’ Council, the International Movement of Russia Lovers in Cyprus, and the Cyprus-Russia Friendship Association.

Protesters strongly condemned the Israeli occupation's ongoing military actions and acts of genocide against the Palestinian people. Demonstrators also denounced the Israeli military’s aggressions, which they said have resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands in Gaza and Lebanon.

Activists are mobilizing outside the presidential palace in Nicosia, Cyprus, to protest against the visit of the Israeli president Isaac Herzog. pic.twitter.com/5l4W6VlSKa

— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) January 9, 2025

The protesters viewed Herzog’s visit during what they called “ongoing killings” as an affront to the Cypriot people, who themselves have endured the consequences of occupation.

The demonstrators called for an immediate end to military operations and the mass killing of civilians, asserting that such actions threaten peace and stability in the region.

Cyrpus receives Israeli aids

Cyprus received in December an Israeli air defense system, as the eastern Mediterranean island seeks to diversify its defense suppliers following the loss of Russia as a key provider, Reuters reported.

According to the TV station Sigma, initial deliveries of the system were made on Tuesday. However, Cypriot officials refrained from commenting on the details of the report.

"The only thing I can say is we will, and are doing everything necessary to bolster the deterrence force of Cyprus, not only because we are a country under occupation, but an EU member state in a region of particular geo-strategic importance," Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides told reporters on Thursday.

Cyprus has remained divided since a Turkish offensive in 1974, triggered by a brief Greece-backed coup. The internationally recognized government controls the southern part of the island, while a breakaway Turkish Cypriot state, heavily militarized, governs the north.