Israel Extends Venezuelan Earthquake Aid Mission by Two Weeks

Following a request from Venezuela's interim President Delsi Rodriguez and coordination with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved a two-week extension of the Israeli Foreign Ministry and IDF Home Front Command aid mission in Venezuela. The decision came after a direct political conversation between Sa'ar and Rodriguez, preceding a meeting in Caracas between the Israeli aid delegation and the Venezuelan interim president. Rodriguez formally asked for the extension to enable the Israeli experts to begin implementing the national reconstruction plan they developed.

The Israeli Home Front Command delegation, led by Brigadier General Elad Edri, has been in Venezuela since last week responding to two severe earthquakes that struck near Caracas, particularly affecting the La Guaira area, a tourist and industrial zone. Edri reported that as of the day before his interview, the death toll had reached approximately 3,000, with many more casualties still being counted. The local Venezuelan Ministry of Information reported 2,954 deaths, 16,592 injured, and 16,309 homeless as of the previous Saturday.

The Israeli mission arrived promptly following the earthquakes, acting under political directives to provide immediate assistance. The extension will allow the team to move from emergency response to the implementation of longer-term recovery efforts in the earthquake-affected regions.