Family Sues Cyprus Hotel Over Death of 71-Year-Old Israeli Tourist

The family of Eliane Ostreich, a 71-year-old from Holon, has filed a lawsuit in Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court against the company that operates the luxury Cyprus hotel The Secret Forest, YONIK MANAGEMENT VILLAGE LTD, and the property’s owners. Ostreich died during a vacation at the hotel in December 2024, after suffering severe breathing distress and collapsing in her room.

According to the claim, her friends tried to get urgent medical help but found the reception desk unattended, with no trained staff, no basic medical equipment, and no available emergency procedure for a medical crisis. The family says too much time passed before an ambulance was called and that emergency responders arrived only after a significant delay, by which time Ostreich had already shown no signs of life.

The suit also alleges that the hotel advertised safety rules, including limits on hot-pool use and a requirement to present medical clearance, but did not enforce those rules or conduct real oversight of guests. A medical opinion attached to the filing says the delay in treatment was causally linked to the outcome and that proper, timely care could have prevented her death or at least significantly prolonged her life.

Attorney Nir Yislovitz, who represents the plaintiffs, said, “This is a hard and shocking case in which an Israeli citizen came on vacation and faced a medical emergency.” He said the filing details serious failures, including no immediate response, no trained staff, and no basic emergency gear, and argued that tourism providers must be held accountable when guest safety is allegedly so badly compromised. The lawsuit was filed in Israel because, the plaintiffs say, the hotel markets to Israelis, the booking was made from Israel, and the injured parties, witnesses, and relatives are Israeli citizens and residents. The hotel said it mourns Ostreich, insists the front desk is staffed 24 hours a day, says a first-aid kit and working defibrillator were available, and says staff called for an ambulance immediately under the Cyprus tourism ministry’s emergency protocol. It also said the death was due to cardiorespiratory failure linked to a chronic medical condition and was unrelated to hotel operations.