Cyprus's main opposition party, Akel, slammed the joint exercises with "Israel"

According to the Israeli website Walla!, Cyprus's main opposition party, Akel, called the joint military exercises with the Israeli occupation forces "a dangerous development for the country."

Akel, one of the two major parties on the island, said in a statement that Cyprus "should avoid cooperating with a foreign army with a history of occupation, colonization, war crimes and violation of international laws, all of which remind us of the Turkish occupation in the island.”

The party further said that the militarization of Cyprus's regional partnerships and the support of the island's National Guard for Israeli military personnel do not serve "the interests and security of our country and our people."

Locals living in the vicinity of the exercises had repeatedly complained of the noise caused by the artillery and military vehicles.

On Wednesday, Lebanon's Foreign Minister received the Cypriot ambassador, Panayiotis Kyriacou, to ask for clarifications over the joint military exercises with the Israeli occupation. Cyprus's Foreign Ministry released a statement later on saying that the exercises are not directed "against any other country in the region."