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An unidentified individual began stabbing Israeli tourists at close range before fleeing the scene.
By Ailin Vilches Arguello, The Algemeiner
An attack on three Israelis in Cyprus with a sharp object has heightened alarm amid a worsening global climate of hostility and targeted violence against Jews and Israelis.
On Tuesday, three Israelis were attacked in Nicosia, the country’s capital, in what authorities described as a sudden and violent incident in a busy urban area, with one person sustaining injuries, local media reported.
A group of Israelis was walking through the city center when an unidentified individual approached and began stabbing them at close range before fleeing the scene.
Even though it was not immediately clear how severe the injuries were at the time, local media confirmed that one of the Israelis suffered a wound to the ear and received medical treatment following the attack.
Local law enforcement launched a major manhunt and, shortly afterward, arrested two suspects identified as men of Syrian origin.
Authorities are now working to determine how the confrontation began and whether the attack was racially or ideologically motivated, with the investigation still ongoing.
Israeli Ambassador to Cyprus Oren Anolik condemned the attack, thanking the Cyprus Police for the swift arrest of the suspects, while calling for continued efforts to ensure the safety of Israelis and the broader public.
“I am deeply shocked by the violent attack against Israeli citizens in Nicosia, targeted solely because of their visibly Jewish appearance. Such antisemitic violence has no place in Cyprus,” the Israeli diplomat wrote in a post on X.
“Those responsible must face justice,” he continued. “Amid a worrying and untypical rise in antisemitic incidents in Cyprus, clear and firm condemnation by leaders across the country is essential.”
This latest incident comes after security services and police in Larnaca, in southern Cyprus, thwarted planned terrorist attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets.
Earlier this week, local authorities arrested two men identified as Palestinians on suspicion of terrorism-related offenses after searches uncovered materials that could be used to produce explosives.
With the investigation still ongoing, officials said they have not ruled out additional arrests.
Cyprus is home to a small Jewish community numbering around 3,000 people, a growing presence that has increasingly required heightened security measures amid rising regional tensions.
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