US citizens fleeing Israel arrive in Cyprus by sea

On the first evacuation boat planned by the US amid the rising Middle East crisis, dozens of US citizens fleeing Israel arrived in Cyprus early on Tuesday. The luxurious cruise ship Rhapsody of the Seas carried 159 passengers as it departed Haifa and arrived at Limassol port in Cyprus early on Tuesday. More evacuation vessels are anticipated to arrive over the next 12 hours, Cypriot government official Victor Papadopoulos told Cyprus state TV. Since shortly after the most recent outbreak of unrest on October 7, Cyprus has served as a transit hub for foreign nations to evacuate their civilian populations. (With agency inputs)