During the visit, the Minister of Defense met with the Chief of the Cypriot National Guard, Lt. Gen. Dimokritos Zervakis, participated in a situation assessment with the Central Command’s 98th Division, headed by the division's commander, Brigadier General Ofer Winter, and also held a commanders' conversation.
At the conclusion of the visit, Gantz said, "I am concluding a tour of an exercise that the IDF is conducting in Cyprus. This is the culmination of one of the largest and most extensive drills we have done in years. I was impressed by the commanders, and I say to everyone, to all the citizens of Israel, we have a trained army which is ready for the challenges that lie ahead of us in the future."
"Along with the day-to-day handling of day-to-day security, the IDF is constantly preparing for operations in various sectors, and will land a severe blow to anyone who seeks to threaten the citizens of the State of Israel. I would also like to thank the Cypriot partners who host us, and who allow us to get better and to practice. This illustrates the depth of the strategic alliance between the two countries. I am very happy to have come here today, and I am very encouraged by what I have seen," Gantz concluded.
