Israeli teams join efforts on the ground in Colombia to help with earthquake recovery

An Israeli delegation of 80 rescue and emergency experts landed in Cali, Colombia, on Friday to assist local authorities in recovering from a massive 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the country’s western region on Monday.

The delegation, dubbed “Brit Re’im,” or “Covenant of Friends,” includes experts from the IDF Home Front Command and the Foreign and Defense Ministries, as well as several rescue dogs from the IDF’s Oketz K9 unit.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Immediately upon landing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative, Ambassador Alon Lavi, and the commander of the IDF rescue unit, Brig. Gen. Yossi Pinto, set out to assess the situation on the ground and survey the relevant rescue sites.”

The Israeli teams subsequently began operating in affected areas, focusing on cooperation with Colombian rescue teams around Hospital Universitario del Valle, which sustained heavy damage in the earthquake but has continued operating.

“As you know, we have experience in Israel,” the IDF’s Spanish-language spokesman, Maj. (res.) Roni Kaplan, told reporters in Colombia, in footage published by AFP.

“Sometimes, unfortunately, our enemies launch missiles at densely populated civilian areas, leaving civilians under the rubble. And today we are taking that knowledge developed by Israel and making it available to Colombian citizens. Hopefully, we can contribute our small part here," Kapan said.

He said the intention is to work there "side by side" and that they are coordinating with local teams on the ground to contribute.

"Hope in Judaism is not something that we have to wait for in the future; it is something that we have to work toward. And that is what we are doing; we are working,” Kaplan explained.

In addition to helping search for survivors, Israeli experts are providing engineering guidance aimed at preventing further structural damage.

The IDF and Foreign Ministry said the teams are also working to “map and classify buildings damaged in the earthquake, in cooperation with local authorities, to help establish a situational assessment and determine priorities for continued response.”

“The mission’s forces are assisting local authorities in building a data management system that will help manage the situational assessment and support decision-making,” the IDF and Foreign Ministry said.

The earthquake has killed at least 287 people and injured more than 4,000, while more than 400 people remain missing. Officials have warned that the death toll could rise as rescue teams continue recovering bodies from collapsed structures and search for people who may still be trapped beneath the rubble.

More than 400 communities, ranging from the major cities of Cali and Pereira to dozens of smaller towns and villages, have reported damage. More than 111,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed, with economic losses already estimated in the billions of dollars.

The earthquake struck only days after newly inaugurated President Abelardo De La Espriella took office, promising reforms that include reversing his predecessor’s hostile diplomatic stance toward Israel.

The Colombian rescue mission follows an Israeli aid delegation sent to Venezuela in July at the request of the Venezuelan government.

Israel’s delegation has expanded its activities to help develop a national recovery plan for areas devastated by recent earthquakes. Alongside the dozens of delegation members working on the ground, an additional team of about 20 experts is working from Israel, analyzing field information and helping develop the plan.

The delegation’s work has drawn significant attention in Venezuela, including from the acting president, senior government officials and local media.

The plan was presented yesterday to Venezuela’s infrastructure minister and is expected to be presented to the acting president in the coming days.

Dozens of delegation members from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the IDF Home Front Command and the National Emergency Management Authority continue working with local authorities and emergency agencies to map and assess damaged buildings, with the goal of returning them to use and enabling displaced residents to return home.