The Israeli military confirmed it will extend the humanitarian mission in earthquake-stricken Venezuela by two weeks, following a request from Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar. A second IDF delegation is scheduled to arrive Thursday to assist relief efforts.
The Israeli military confirmed Thursday it is extending the humanitarian mission in earthquake-stricken Venezuela by two weeks and dispatching a second IDF team, following a request from Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar. The second team is scheduled to arrive later today, as search-and-rescue efforts continue for survivors of the late-June quake.
Before the extension, the delegation had already secured a major milestone: on Wednesday, July 8, the team—comprising IDF and Foreign Ministry personnel—met with Vice President Rodríguez, then with the Venezuelan president, who approved the Israeli-proposed national rehabilitation plan, as The Zioneer reported. The first IDF vanguard landed on July 2, marking the first official Israeli aid mission to the country since diplomatic ties were severed in 2009.
Israel considered a humanitarian mission as early as June 25, and Foreign Minister Sa'ar announced the deployment on June 30. The envoy to Venezuela, Yoad Magen, appealed to the public in Spanish on June 30, ahead of the mission's arrival. The context of the mission is the absence of formal diplomatic relations since 2009, though the political landscape in Caracas changed after the fall of Nicolás Maduro's regime earlier this year.
Details of the second team's specific role and deployment timeline have not yet been officially detailed, and it remains unclear how long the extended mission will ultimately operate.
3 developments
- StrongIsrael considers humanitarian aid mission to earthquake-stricken Venezuela
- DevelopingIDF vanguard of Israeli relief mission lands in quake-hit Venezuela
- StrongIDF delegation reportedly in Venezuela to search for earthquake missing
- StrongFM Sa'ar announces Israel will send aid delegation to Venezuela despite no diplomatic ties
Source and signal
- Internal intake