Biden, Cyprus president discuss means for ceasefires in Gaza, Lebanon

President Joe Biden and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides on Wednesday discussed a new effort by the US administration and mediators in the Middle East to forge cease-fires to end fighting in Lebanon and Gaza.

Christodoulides leads the European Union nation closest to Gaza. The small Mediterranean island nation has played a critical role in efforts to get humanitarian aid into Gaza since the war between Hamas and Israel began more than a year ago.

He said that Biden and White House officials briefed him on the latest stepped-up efforts by the US administration and other mediators but declined to offer further details about the discussion.

 

The most important priority that the international community has now is to have a cease-fire in the region, Christodoulides told reporters after his Oval Office talks with Biden.

Senior White House officials Brett McGurk and Amos Hochstein will visit Israel on Thursday for talks on possible cease-fires in both Lebanon and Gaza, and on the release of hostages held by Hamas, according to a US official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The official also said CIA Director Bill Burns was headed to Egypt on Thursday to discuss those efforts.

A proposal to end the war between Israel and Hezbollah calls for a two-month cease-fire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon, and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the country's southern border, two other officials familiar with the talks said.

Biden, meanwhile, thanked Cyprus for helping move badly needed humanitarian aid into Gaza and for the Mediterranean nation's cooperation in response to Russia's war in Ukraine.

The meeting comes days after US and Cypriot officials announced the countries are launching a strategic dialogue aimed at bolstering security and stability in a crisis-wracked region through initiatives including counterterrorism training of personnel from Middle Eastern countries and fighting sanctions evasion.

The new coordination is just the latest example of Cyprus tightening relations with the US after decades of walking a tightrope between Washington and Moscow. Cyprus has moved closer to the US since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Today we stood against Russia's vicious onslaught against Ukraine, we launched a strategic dialogue, we increased cooperation across a range of issues, from energy security to artificial intelligence, and we surged humanitarian aid, delivering 8,000 metric tons to Gaza, Biden said.

The US is also funding a centre on the island nation under the acronym CYCLOPS that trains personnel from Cyprus and neighboring countries on maritime and cybersecurity as well as counterterrorism techniques.

The Cyprus government has also stepped up coordination with local law enforcement, the US Department of Justice and the FBI to help combat the evasion of sanctions against Russia and other countries.

The FBI is helping train Cypriot police in identifying and prosecuting cases of illegal financing and attempts to evade US, European Union and UN sanctions imposed on any third country.

Last month, Cyprus and the US signed a defense cooperation framework agreement that outlines ways the two countries can enhance their response to regional humanitarian crises and security concerns.

Christodoulides said Cyprus has proven to be a predictable and reliable partner of the United States in a region of great geopolitical importance.

Earlier this year, Cyprus helped the US establish a Gaza maritime corridor for the shipborne delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory.

The USD 230 million temporary pier project was derided as a boondoggle by critics and was beset by turbulent weather, security threats and sweeping personnel restrictions. The Pentagon pulled the plug on the effort after about four months.

The Biden administration had set a goal of the US sea route and pier providing food to feed 1.5 million people for 90 days. It fell short, bringing in enough to feed about 4,50,000 people for a month before shutting down, according to a USAID inspector general's report.