Israeli Search and Rescue Delegation Departs for Earthquake-Hit Colombia
An Israeli search, rescue, and humanitarian aid delegation titled “Operation Alliance of Friends” (Brit Reim) departed overnight for Colombia aboard an Israeli Air Force aircraft from Nevatim Airbase.
The joint mission—led by the IDF Home Front Command in coordination with the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—comes in response to the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia earlier this week.
The 80-member delegation is commanded by Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yossi Pinto, head of the National Search and Rescue Unit, and includes active-duty personnel, reservists, and technical specialists.
Prior to departure, teams completed extensive logistical preparations, packing and loading specialized search, rescue, and extraction equipment tailored for operations at disaster sites.
Upon arrival, the delegation will immediately begin life-saving operations, focusing on the rapid mapping of destruction sites to coordinate search efforts and distributing food and clean water to local populations affected by the disaster.
