Jerusalem, 1 July, 2026 (TPS-IL) —
Israeli official and civilian emergency teams are operating in earthquake-stricken Venezuela, despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The Israeli presence includes a joint Foreign Ministry and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) delegation, alongside an emergency response team from IsraAID, a non-governmental humanitarian aid organization and Israel’s largest of its kind. Venezuela severed diplomatic relations with Israel in 2009, but Israeli responders are now working with local counterparts according to needs on the ground.
The official Israeli delegation is being coordinated following a review led by Israel’s National Security Council. The Foreign Ministry side of the mission is led by Ambassador Yoed Magen, who grew up in Venezuela. The IDF delegation is commanded by Brig. Gen. Elad Edri, chief of staff of the Home Front Command.
The team includes engineering specialists from the Home Front Command and Foreign Ministry representatives, with additional experts from the Home Front Command and Israel’s National Emergency Management Authority expected to join. Israeli officials said the experts are working in cooperation with Venezuelan counterparts.
Alongside the official mission, IsraAID said its emergency team is responding to urgent humanitarian needs in Caracas and La Guaira, one of the areas hardest hit by the earthquakes. The organization said its team is conducting rapid needs assessments with local partners, distributing emergency aid, installing water filters and providing mental health and protection support.
On Tuesday, IsraAID installed emergency water filters and held emotional support sessions for children at a displaced persons camp in La Guaira housing 700 people.
“Today, Venezuela shows us its strength in the midst of pain,” said Karen Munzon, IsraAID’s mental health and protection specialist in Venezuela. “We have seen entire families in shelters who have lost everything; we recognize the urgency, and our mission is to accompany them, providing relief and hope.”
Simon Mostafa, IsraAID’s water, sanitation and hygiene specialist in Venezuela, said survivors were dealing with the loss of relatives, homes and a sense of safety.
“At the same time, we see the solidarity, the resilience, and hard work of people to rebuild their lives and support their neighbors,” he said.
Israel has a long record of sending search-and-rescue, medical and humanitarian teams to major disasters overseas, including earthquakes in Turkey, Nepal and Haiti.
IsraAID said it is working with local partners, including members of Venezuela’s Jewish community, to reach communities in need during the critical first days of the emergency.