A group of Israeli tourists were arrested in Ayia Napa over the alleged rape of a 19-year-old British woman in the Cypriot resort.
An investigation is under way into the alleged gang rape, which was said to have taken place in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The 12 suspects, aged between 16 and 20, are being questioned by police and are expected to appear in a district court in Famagusta today (Thursday) for a custody hearing.
They were reportedly arrested at their hotel at 6am yesterday.
Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed that it was aware of the arrests and was in contact with those detained and their families.
A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokeswoman said: “We are supporting a British woman who was assaulted in Cyprus and are in contact with local police.”
A police source who spoke anonymously about the arrests said that the investigation was in its early stages, The Times reported.
Yaniv Habari, a lawyer representing the suspects, told Israel’s Haaretz newspaper that he had met the group, who were “in a good mood”. He declined to comment on the allegations.