An advance IDF rescue team has landed in Venezuela to assist local authorities with earthquake recovery, the IDF said Thursday. A separate ZAKA delegation including doctors, engineers, and rescue crews is already operating on-site, and its commander said the mission aims to aid both the local Jewish community and the broader population.
The IDF confirmed Thursday morning that an advance rescue team from its joint delegation with the Foreign Ministry has landed in Venezuela, marking a new phase in Israel's earthquake relief effort. The mission is operating despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The IDF's arrival follows a series of earlier dispatches from The Zioneer: On Wednesday evening, the initial Israeli delegation (versions 1-4, published at 19:06 Jerusalem) landed and began coordination meetings, led by incoming Ambassador to Mexico Yoad Magen and Home Front Command deputy chief Brig.-Gen. Elad Edri. By Wednesday evening, social media reports indicated search-and-rescue operations using drone-mounted Israeli technology were already underway. The version 5 thread item, at the same timestamp, confirmed a ZAKA delegation led by Yosef Garmon—including doctors, engineers, and specialists in dignified care for the deceased—was also operating on the ground. What was once a single-source report (N12, version 1) has since been corroborated by multiple news outlets and official statements.
As The Zioneer reported earlier this week, Israel's official mission was announced Tuesday despite severed diplomatic ties since 2009. The deployment follows earlier rescue efforts by Israeli NGOs including Magen, Ready for Rescue, and SmartAID, which began arriving late last week, and is part of a broader international response now involving at least 16 nations, with the US sending 2,000 personnel.
It remains unclear when the full IDF delegation will begin field operations, as the advance team's initial focus is coordination with local authorities. The full extent of damage and casualties from the earthquake is still unknown.
7 developments
- StrongInternational rescue effort for Venezuela earthquake swells to 16 nations
- DevelopingVenezuela: reports claim 68,900 still missing after earthquakes
- ConfirmedUN reportedly preparing for up to 10,000 dead in Venezuela earthquake; missing count climbs to 46,000
- StrongIsraeli rescue team reports extensive, extraordinary destruction in Venezuela quake zone
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