Israel will dispatch an official rescue delegation to Venezuela on Tuesday, in response to the devastating earthquake that struck the South American country last week, according to the Foreign Ministry. The mission follows initial reports from i24NEWS about an earlier Israeli rescue team and comes amid an international rescue effort now involving at least 16 nations.
Israel will dispatch a joint Foreign Ministry, IDF, and Home Front Command rescue delegation to Venezuela on Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry announced Monday evening, following a directive from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar. The official mission comes after the National Security Council completed a coordination review. The delegation is led by Home Front Command head Brig. Gen. Elad Adari and Ambassador Yoed Magen, and includes engineering experts and diplomatic staff. This marks a government-level commitment to the international rescue effort, which as The Zioneer reported on Saturday has swelled to at least 16 nations, with the EU activating its civil protection mechanism of 520 rescuers. The quake, which struck Venezuela on Thursday, has killed at least 164 and wounded hundreds, according to the Venezuelan vice president.
As The Zioneer first reported on Monday at 14:25 Jerusalem, a 16-person team from the NGOs Magen, Ready for Rescue, and SmartAID had already deployed in the quake zone despite the absence of diplomatic ties between Jerusalem and Caracas. By 22:18 Jerusalem on Monday, The Zioneer reported that the Home Front Command delegation was proceeding despite the lack of diplomatic relations, initially citing journalist Tomer Almagor (N12). Within the same hour, reports clarified that the National Security Council had completed its coordination review, and the delegation was confirmed as a joint Foreign Ministry-IDF mission.
As The Zioneer reported on Thursday, Venezuela declared a state of emergency after the earthquake, with La Guaira designated a disaster area and the international airport closed following twin tremors.
No additional details on the delegation's precise size or the timeline of its operations in Venezuela have been released yet.
7 developments
- DevelopingFirst Israeli rescue mission departs for Venezuela
- StrongIsrael considers humanitarian aid mission to earthquake-stricken Venezuela
- DevelopingIsrael's Foreign Ministry advises against all travel to Venezuela
- DevelopingFM Sa'ar tweets in Spanish: Israeli delegation to Venezuela expresses national commitment to humanitarian aid
Source and signal
- Internal intake