(Communicated by Prime Minister's
Media Adviser)
Based on Israel's close ties with
Cyprus, with emphasis on mutual assistance in times of emergency, Prime
Minister Naftali Bennett, this evening (Saturday, 3 July 2021), approved that
Israel would, tomorrow (Sunday, 4 July 2021), dispatch two firefighting planes
and flame retardant material.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid spoke
with his counterpart, Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides, and said
that Israel would do everything it could to assist Cyprus in gaining control of
the events.
Based on the existing cooperation agreement between the two countries' fire and
rescue services, Public Security Minister Omer Bar-Lev and Fire and Rescue
Commissioner Dedy Simhi considered the possibilities for assistance.
Accordingly, planes from the National Fire and Rescue Authority squadron will
leave tomorrow in order to assist the Cypriot and international forces in their
efforts to extinguish the fires. The assistance has been coordinated by the
Pubic Security Ministry and the Foreign Ministry, with the assistance of the
Israeli Embassy in Cyprus.