Netanyahu speaks with Venezuela delegation as the nation is forced to bury unidentified bodies

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commended an Israeli aid delegation working in Venezuela, emphasizing their role in showing the "true face of the State of Israel" to the Venezuelan people and government. He spoke with the commander of the delegation and Israel's ambassador-designate to Mexico, noting that Venezuela had severed diplomatic ties with Israel nearly 20 years prior.

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You are showing the people of Venezuela, and also the government of Venezuela, the true face of the State of Israel.

Netanyahu highlighted the delegation's focus on providing aid without preconditions, stating, "We didn't ask questions about who and what. We asked: 'What needs to be done to help?'" Israel dispatched the delegation following devastating earthquakes on June 24 that resulted in over 3,800 fatalities, nearly 17,000 injuries, and left approximately 18,000 people without homes. As of Thursday, around 300 unidentified bodies had been buried.

Brig. Gen. Elad Edri, Chief of Staff of the Home Front Command and commander of the Israeli delegation, reported that the team of over thirty individuals from various Israeli ministries and military bodies has been in Venezuela since late June. They are collaborating with the local government and the Venezuelan Infrastructure Ministry on reconstruction planning, operating around the clock. Edri expressed pride in representing Israel during this effort.

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We didn't ask questions about who and what. We asked: 'What needs to be done to help?'

Meanwhile, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) identified major health risks for Venezuelan residents impacted by the quakes. These include disruptions to medical care, shelter overcrowding, and insufficient access to clean water. PAHO is working with Venezuela's health ministry to monitor for potential outbreaks of respiratory and digestive illnesses, particularly in temporary shelters. PAHO officials also stressed the critical need for guaranteed access to vaccines, as Venezuela's vaccination rates were already below target before the disaster, and its health system was strained by the ongoing economic crisis.

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We are operating day and night, together with the local government and the Venezuelan Infrastructure Ministry. We are very proud to represent the country here.