Israeli rescue delegations are continuing search operations at collapsed building sites in Venezuela following last week's devastating earthquakes, according to a statement from delegation head Eran Magen. The mission is part of a multinational relief effort in the disaster zone.
Israeli rescue teams are continuing search-and-rescue operations in collapsed buildings across Venezuela's earthquake-affected areas, delegation head Eran Magen told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday afternoon. "We go to every site where information is received about people who were inside buildings that collapsed," Magen said, confirming the teams are actively searching multiple sites. The statement comes as the multinational relief effort enters its second week following the June 24 earthquakes.
The Israeli delegation arrived in Caracas on Wednesday evening, led by incoming Ambassador to Mexico Yoad Magen and Home Front Command deputy chief Brig.-Gen. Elad Edri, as The Zioneer reported at 19:06 Jerusalem. Social media reports on Thursday morning indicated that search-and-rescue operations using drone-mounted Israeli technology had already begun. The Zioneer reported at 11:03 on Wednesday that Israeli teams had deployed AI-powered XTEND drones to build real-time 3D maps of collapsed structures. Separately, a ZAKA delegation led by Yosef Garmon began operating on the ground, and an IDF advance team also landed. The mission marks the first official Israeli presence in Venezuela since diplomatic ties were severed in 2009.
The Zioneer reported on Tuesday, June 30, that the joint Israeli rescue delegation from Magen, Ready for Rescue, and SmartAID described unusually extensive destruction and difficult conditions. Earlier, on June 26, the first Israeli rescue mission departed for Venezuela, following the earthquake that struck on June 24. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez announced on June 25 that international rescue teams were en route.
The full extent of survivors still trapped under rubble remains unclear. Official figures from earlier in the week reported some 2,000 dead, 10,000 wounded, and an estimated 46,000 missing, but those numbers may change as search operations continue.
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