Israel sends relief delegation to quake-hit Venezuela

A joint delegation from the Foreign Ministry and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), including the Home Front Command, is scheduled to depart for Venezuela on Tuesday, June 30, to assist in responding to earthquakes that devastated the country, as per a report by The Jerusalem Post.

The deployment follows a review led by the National Security Council on the coordination and integration required among the participating bodies.

Ambassador Yoed Magen, who grew up in Venezuela, will lead the Foreign Ministry’s activities within the delegation, while Home Front Command Chief of Staff Brigadier General Elad Edri will command the IDF delegation.

Engineering professionals from the Home Front Command and representatives from the Foreign Ministry will also join the delegation, with additional experts from the Home Front Command and the National Emergency Management Authority expected to join later.

“This delegation expresses the moral commitment of the State of Israel to humanitarian assistance for peoples who have suffered natural disasters,” said Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in a post on X on Monday, June 29.

"Our heart is with the families who lost their loved ones and with the numerous injured,” he added.

The experts will coordinate with Venezuelan counterparts to address needs on the ground.

A separate Israeli search-and-rescue delegation has already arrived in Venezuela to assist in recovery efforts. It includes 16 rescue personnel along with professionals from Magen - Disaster & Emergency Management Company, the Ready for Rescue non-profit, and SmartAID.

Since arriving in Valencia, the team has begun working alongside local forces to locate and rescue survivors and deliver humanitarian assistance where possible.

Venezuela severed diplomatic relations with Israel in 2009 following Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip.

An earthquake struck Venezuela on the evening of June 24. Two tremors measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale occurred about 40 seconds apart, with epicentres located roughly 10 km apart in Yaracuy state. The quake was followed by 214 aftershocks. According to the latest figures, more than 1,400 people have died, and over 3,200 have been injured to varying degrees.

By Tamilla Hasanova