Deputy European Affairs Minister Marilena Raouna told her EU counterparts on Tuesday that Cyprus is “deeply concerned over the expansion of military operations” in the Middle East, adding that the island – so close to the conflict zone – continues to facilitate humanitarian aid to Gaza through its Amalthea corridor.

“We have clearly condemned the Israeli attacks and the violation of Qatar’s territorial integrity, and we will raise the issue of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza,” Raouna said during the General Affairs Council in Brussels.

She noted that “Cyprus continues to operate its humanitarian aid corridor to Gaza,” and added, “Last week alone, we sent more than 1,200 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza.”

Raouna called on the EU to lead in the field of humanitarian aid, pointing out that the Amalthea corridor, under the auspices of Unops, was at the disposal of the EU.

Raouna also referred to housing, saying it was a fundamental social right and “we are with interest awaiting the forthcoming European Commission plan on accessible housing, which will be one of the priorities of the upcoming Cypriot presidency” of the European Council.

She added that during its presidency in the first half of 2026, Cyprus would be hosting an informal council to exclusively discuss housing.

On EU enlargement, Raouna congratulated Albania for its progress in accession negotiations.

“EU enlargement constitutes a geopolitical necessity, a geopolitical investment and concerns the reunification of Europe, as well as the expansion of the security, stability and prosperity area,” she added.

Raouna promised that Cyprus would work to promote accession negotiations for all its partners.

Another area of concern was the situation in Ukraine and the attacks against civilians, as well as the violation of Poland’s air space by Russia, an issue to be discussed during Tuesday’s general affairs council.

In her remarks, Raouna also welcomed references by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on September 10 that the commission intended to propose the creation of a new European firefighting hub based in Cyprus.