A delegation of 150 military rescue experts was to depart for southern Turkey on Monday night, as the country grappled with the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that killed thousands of people in the region. An initial, smaller team departed earlier on Monday.
Hours ahead of the flight from the Nevatim airbase in southern Israel, the head of the Israel Defense Forces aid delegation, Col. (Res.) Golan Vach, spoke to reporters.
The joint "Olive Branches" humanitarian aid delegation of the @IDF (Israel Defense Forces), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense is on its way from Israel to Türkiye to assist in the earthquake-stricken area of the country. pic.twitter.com/IrMtSEwiCz
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) February 6, 2023
“Some 150 rescue experts are prepared to leave for Turkey in the next few hours. Of these, a third are headquarters and intelligence, and two-thirds have rescue, medical, and engineering capabilities,” said Vach, who is the commander of the IDF National Rescue Unit and a former officer in the IDF Home Front Command.
Vach said it was the unit’s 31st expedition in the past 40 years. “We feel a great privilege to reach out to our neighbors and [their] citizens,” he said.
This evening, the joint "Olive Branches" humanitarian aid delegation of the Israel Defense Forces, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense will leave Israel for Türkiye to assist in the earthquake-stricken area of the country. pic.twitter.com/NB8B13me0v
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) February 6, 2023
He said the powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake and the secondary 7.5-magnitude quake that rocked the same area in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria was a “disaster on a large scale.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier Monday that Israel also plans to send aid to Syria, including tents, medication, and blankets.
Also on Monday, President Isaac Herzog spoke with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan to offer Israel’s condolences on the losses suffered in the deadly earthquake.
Israel will officially send humanitarian aid to Syria. 🇮🇱🇸🇾🇹🇷
Although Israel and Syria are considered enemy states, I hope we will build friendships between our peoples in the future. pic.twitter.com/9CBcgEt9lt
— Hananya Naftali (@HananyaNaftali) February 6, 2023
Herzog briefed Erdogan on the assistance Israel was sending, and told him that he met earlier in the day with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Yair Lapid and that they assured him the country is united in its desire to help Turkey, the president’s office said.
Erdogan thanked Herzog and expressed his appreciation that Israel was willing to stand with Turkey in its hour of difficulty, it said.
This year, we want to do more to bless Israel and the Jewish people.
We know that as we bless Israel this year, God will bless us, just as He promised in Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Now is the time to bless Israel and the Jewish people.
