An additional Israel Defense Forces delegation is scheduled to arrive in Venezuela on Thursday to assist earthquake relief efforts, the Israeli military said.
The team, headed by the commander of the Home Front Command’s Search and Rescue Brigade, Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Pinto, “will join the delegation’s activities in order to reinforce its operational capabilities and ensure the continuous execution of its missions,” the IDF said in a joint statement with the Israeli Foreign Ministry on Thursday morning.
Israel extended the deployment of its humanitarian aid delegation for another two weeks after Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodríguez asked Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to keep the team in the country, the ministry confirmed on Wednesday.
The extension followed a meeting in Caracas between the Israeli delegation and Rodríguez, which came after a direct phone call between Sa’ar and the interim president. During the call, Rodríguez requested that the delegation remain so it could begin implementing a national reconstruction plan drawn up by Israeli experts. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the extension in coordination with Sa’ar.
The mission is notable because Israel and Venezuela have had no diplomatic relations since Caracas severed ties with Jerusalem in 2009 following the Gaza war of 2008 and 2009 (“Operation Cast Lead”). Despite the absence of formal relations, Venezuelan authorities requested additional assistance, with Israeli experts contributing to a recovery strategy for regions devastated by the recent earthquakes.
The earthquakes’ death toll currently stands at more than 3,600, with over 16,700 injured and more than 17,000 homeless.
