An Israeli humanitarian assessment team arrived in Venezuela on Wednesday after deploying in response to recent earthquakes, the Israel Defense Forces and Foreign Ministry said.
The advance delegation will coordinate with local authorities and emergency responders to assess needs and support recovery efforts. It is led by Ambassador-designate to Mexico Yoed Magen on behalf of the Foreign Ministry, alongside Brig. Gen. Elad Edri, chief of staff of the IDF Home Front Command.
Upon arrival, the team began meetings with Venezuelan officials and partners to establish a situational picture, identify priorities and prepare for operational activity. Additional personnel are expected to join in the coming days, after which Israeli expert teams will begin assisting on the ground while sharing expertise from past disaster response missions, the statement said.
🇮🇱🇻🇪A preliminary team from the Israeli humanitarian assistance delegation landed in Venezuela a short while ago, in response to the earthquake that struck the country.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 1, 2026
The expert teams will begin operating alongside the local authorities to support the recovery efforts, while… pic.twitter.com/BKX0Rvu0aN
Alongside the official mission, IsraAID said its emergency team is responding to urgent humanitarian needs in Caracas and La Guaira, one of the areas hardest hit by the June 24 earthquakes. The organization said its team is conducting rapid needs assessments with local partners, distributing emergency aid, installing water filters and providing mental health and protection support.
Israel is assisting despite the absence of diplomatic relations between Jerusalem and Caracas.
The official casualties from the June 24 twin earthquakes stand at 2,295 deaths and 11,267 injuries. Nearly 50,000 people remain unaccounted for.
On Tuesday, IsraAID installed emergency water filters and held emotional support sessions for children at a displaced persons camp in La Guaira housing 700 people.
“Today, Venezuela shows us its strength in the midst of pain,” said Karen Munzon, IsraAID’s mental health and protection specialist in Venezuela. “We have seen entire families in shelters who have lost everything; we recognize the urgency, and our mission is to accompany them, providing relief and hope.”
Simon Mostafa, IsraAID’s water, sanitation and hygiene specialist in Venezuela, said survivors were dealing with the loss of relatives, homes and a sense of safety.
“At the same time, we see the solidarity, the resilience, and hard work of people to rebuild their lives and support their neighbors,” he said.
Israel has a long record of sending search-and-rescue, medical and humanitarian teams to major disasters overseas, including earthquakes in Turkey, Nepal and Haiti.
IsraAID said it is working with local partners, including members of Venezuela’s Jewish community, to reach communities in need during the critical first days of the emergency.
