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Israel’s quake mission ends
Israel’s aid delegation to earthquake-stricken Venezuela completed its mission and returned to Israel after around three weeks operating in the South American country, the Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday.
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez held a meeting with representatives from the IDF and Foreign Ministry ahead of their departure, expressing her appreciation for their efforts and thanking the delegation for its contribution.
The Times of Israel said the team had been tasked with assessing and classifying damaged buildings and assisting with reconstruction efforts following the twin earthquakes that have been estimated to have killed at least 5,069 people.
The delegation was initially led by Elad Edri and Yoed Magen and later by Yossi Pinto and Ambassador Gil Artzyeli, according to the same report.
The Times of Israel added that Israeli expert teams would continue providing professional guidance and support to Venezuelan authorities remotely after the field mission ended.
Rodríguez thanks delegation
Delcy Rodríguez thanked the Israeli delegation after the earthquakes recorded on June 24, holding a working meeting with members of the aid and humanitarian assistance delegation at the conclusion of its support operations in Venezuela.
teleSUR reported that Rodríguez formally bid farewell to the delegation and extended thanks for the technical and logistical deployment carried out for the benefit of the population in the affected areas.
teleSUR said the Venezuelan government recognized on-the-ground backing from the Israeli technical representation, which was accompanied by members of the Jewish community in Venezuela.
In the same account, teleSUR described the international personnel sent by Israel as civil engineering professionals trained at Tel Aviv University, specializing in evaluating collapsed structures, diagnosing building vulnerability, and designing urgent contingency plans in disaster zones.
The Times of Israel said Rodríguez approved a national reconstruction plan prepared by the Israeli team and that the delegation’s field work had operated in several earthquake-hit areas at the request of the Venezuelan government.
Reconstruction, remote support
The Times of Israel said Israeli expert teams would continue providing professional guidance and support remotely after the delegation’s return, with the ministry adding that the recovery plan presented to Rodríguez would serve as a framework.
Aurora Israel and Diario Judío México both described the closure of operations on the ground as an official meeting between Rodríguez and representatives of the IDF and the Israeli Foreign Ministry, with Rodríguez expressing deep gratitude for the deployment after the earthquakes.
Aurora Israel said the teams of experts would continue providing remote technical advice and professional assistance to Venezuelan authorities even though the personnel physically deployed had returned to Israel.
Folha de S.Paulo quoted Major Roni Kaplan describing the situation in La Guaira as a "colossal disaster" and said Israel deployed a team of 64 people despite diplomatic relations with Venezuela having been broken since 2009.
Folha de S.Paulo said Kaplan described the mission as transitioning from rescue operations to reconstruction and debris removal using heavy machinery, while Israeli teams still found bodies under the rubble one month after the earthquakes.
