Activists accuse Cyprus of involvement in secret U.S. and Israeli military operations

Six non-governmental organizations have claimed that the Cypriot government is suspected of facilitating covert military operations by the U.S. and Israel. The accusations were sparked by “unusual movements” of a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport aircraft, which took off from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and headed toward Paphos Airport. According to activists, the aircraft’s signal disappeared from radar before landing, and an hour later it was already en route to Israel. They described this as a “phantom landing,” suggesting an attempt to disguise a direct flight.

Groups including Afoa, BDS Cyprus, “Cyprus Without Genocide,” and “United for Palestine” allege that the island was used as an intermediate stop for transporting unknown cargo and personnel from Qatar to Israel. They argue that such secretive movements are not typical of humanitarian missions and insist the secrecy surrounding the aircraft’s flight is proof of military aid delivery. Activists also questioned whether a landing actually occurred: according to them, C-17 altitude data “never dropped to zero,” which could indicate the plane merely flew over Paphos while attempting to deceive tracking systems.

The organizations declared that “by allowing such flights and facilitating operations from the island in support of the U.S. and Israel, the Cypriot government has effectively abandoned its sovereignty, turning the island into a silent accomplice to genocide.”