"Alliance of Friends": Rescue and Humanitarian Aid Mission to Depart from Israel to Colombia

A rescue and humanitarian aid mission named "Alliance of Friends" will depart tonight from Colombia, on the orders of Prime Minister Netanyahu and following the proposal of Foreign Minister Sa'ar. The mission, led by the Home Front Command and the Foreign Ministry, will include about 80 personnel and will operate to rescue trapped individuals and distribute food and water. This comes against the backdrop of the 7.4 magnitude earthquake in western Colombia, whose death toll has risen to at least 254, with about 2,595 injured and nearly 200 missing.

A rescue and humanitarian aid mission named "Alliance of Friends" will depart tonight (Thursday) from Colombia, on the directive of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and following the proposal of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar to his Colombian counterpart. The mission, a joint effort of the Foreign Ministry, the IDF, and the Ministry of Defense, will be co-led by the Home Front Command and the Foreign Ministry, and will depart on an Air Force plane from Nevatim Airbase. The rescue force is headed by the commander of the Home Front Command's National Rescue and Extraction Unit, Brigadier General (Res.) Yossi Pinto. The mission includes about 80 personnel, including a rescue force and experts in regular and reserve service. The Israeli Embassy in Colombia will coordinate activities with local authorities. The mission departs against the backdrop of the strong earthquake that struck western Colombia on Monday at 07:34 in the morning, with a magnitude of 7.4 and at a depth of 107 kilometers. The epicenter was about 5 kilometers east of the town of San José del Palmar in the Chocó department, one of the poorest and most isolated areas in the country. The death toll has risen to at least 254, according to local authorities, with 101 of them in Pereira and 95 in Cali. At least 2,595 people were injured, and nearly 200 are defined as missing. The most severe damage was recorded in Cali, Pereira, and Manizales, where homes, schools, and medical centers collapsed or were damaged. According to The New York Times, nearly 5,000 homes were damaged and 387 destroyed, along with damage to 18 medical centers and 52 schools. In the Chocó department, many communities remain without electricity and basic services, and field conditions make it difficult to assess the extent of the disaster.