Cypriot activist groups are questioning their presidents' strong support for Israel's right to defend itself. Presidents Nikos Christodoulides and Kyriakos Mitsotakis said this during a visit to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The groups believe this statement goes against international law. It also ignores the big humanitarian problems in Gaza.
The groups, including Genocide-Free Cyprus and Cyprus Palestine Solidarity Action, say the leaders' words unfairly support actions they think are genocide. The activists argue that Israel's military actions are not true self-defence. International law has clear rules for self-defence. These rules include being necessary and fair.
A key point for the activists is a recent court ruling. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said Israel's occupation of Palestinian land is illegal. The groups also disagree that Israel left Gaza in 2005. They say Israel still controls Gaza. They believe Gaza has been illegally occupied since 1967. Many international groups agree with this.
The activists also mentioned a past court case. This case said self-defence must be needed to stop an attack. They say the damage and deaths in Gaza are too much. It is not a fair response to the Hamas attacks on October 7th.
The UN Secretary-General also spoke about the situation. He said the Hamas attacks were bad. However, he said the deaths and destruction in Gaza are very high. It is more than in recent history. The activist groups think Israel's actions are genocide. They say the constant force is not for self-defence.