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Cyprus Denies Palestinian To Stay On Its Soil, 13 Go On Hunger Strike
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Could he be the one to stay in Cyprus? |
LARNACA, Cyprus, May 19 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The Cypriot government denied Sunday that one of 13 Palestinian activists in temporary exile on this eastern Mediterranean island would stay in Cyprus under an EU-brokered deal, as the 13 men went on a hunger strike crying they were ‘sold out’ by the EU.
"The 12 will proceed to leave, while the other one will stay for a limited period ... We are talking a few more days," government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou told Agence France-Presse (AFP). He was referring to the 13 resistance activists who were trapped under a five-week Israeli siege at Bethlehem's Nativity Church.
"Nobody is suggesting he should stay here permanently, there are just some practical details that need solving," he said, adding that he was unaware which Palestinian was still looking for a host country.
Meanwhile, the 13 Palestinians, staying on Flamingo hotel in Larnaca, went on a hunger strike Sunday, rejecting the EU deal to disperse them. They said the deal, as conveyed to them by EU Foreign Policy Chief, Javier Solana, assured them that they would be together and that they would enjoy full freedom of movement, reported Qatar-based al-Jazeera satellite Television.
For his part, the Palestinian representative in Nicosia, Samir Abu Ghazaleh, voiced regrets Sunday that the 13 would be split up between several countries and said the issue was not yet fully resolved.
"I find it painful that they have to be split up like this," he told AFP. "I expect them to be here until mid-week. The issue is not yet closed".
However, Cyprus Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides said Sunday that 12 of the militants should start leaving by Tuesday.
"The matter is coming to a successful conclusion ... now they are in the process of distributing the Palestinians, hopefully by Tuesday there is going to be a decision, then the process of travelling will begin," Cassoulides told reporters at Larnaca airport.
The EU announced a deal late Saturday to move 12 of the 13 Palestinians, into exile in European countries, but said one of them would stay in Cyprus.
The Spanish presidency of the EU said following telephone discussions between EU capitals that three each would be taken in by Spain and Italy, two each by Greece and Ireland, while Portugal and Belgium would each accept one.
Cyprus would keep one of them, it said.
Spain, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, did not say when they would leave for their new destination, nor what exactly would become of them when they arrived.
The 13 men, regarded by Israel as hardened terrorists, were flown to Cyprus on a British air force plane on May 10 as part of a deal brokered by the EU and the United States to end the Israeli army siege of the Bethlehem church.
However, the EU, concerned about the fine-details, has repeatedly put off a decision on how and where to take them in.
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