The delegation’s mission includes assisting the Jewish community
in identifying victims and survivors.
A joint IDF and Ministry of Foreign Affairs aid delegation has departed to assist at the destruction site in Miami, USA, after the collapse of a residential building.
The delegation is headed by the Commander of the National Rescue Unit in the Home Front Command, Col. (res.) Golan Vach, and includes a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guy Giladi, the former Deputy Consul General in Miami.
In addition, the delegation consists of approximately 10 reserve officers from the Home Front Command, all top experts in engineering and social care efforts.
The delegation’s mission is to assist in the life-saving efforts by mapping out the destruction site, assisting the Jewish community in identifying victims and survivors, and supporting the local rescue forces generally. Preparations for the delegation were led by the Head of the Home Front Command, Brig. Gen. Itzik Bar.
The delegation will be received by the staff of the Israeli Consulate General in Miami and the Consul General, Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, who have maintained a regular presence at the site since the tragic collapse and have provided assistance with clothing, medicine, food, emergency lighting and more.
The consulate will connect the staff with the Miami District Emergency Services and the State of Florida.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid said: “The State of Israel has no greater friend than the United States of America, and America has no greater friend than Israel. At difficult times such as these, we stand with our American friends and with the Jewish community in Florida.”
“The rapid and effective mobilization of the Defense Establishment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is an important statement about Israel’s relations and friendship with the United States.”
A delegation of ZAKA emergency volunteers led by Lachish ZAKA Commander Yossi Landau will also arrive in Miami, Florida and join ZAKA volunteers in Miami in efforts to locate and rescue casualties from the collapse.
Haim Weingarten, Head of Operations at ZAKA, said: “Last Thursday we received the harsh report of the collapse of a 12-year-old residential tower in the Jewish neighborhood of Surfside, Miami, Florida. Unfortunately, three days after the collapse, dozens of people are still trapped, including members of the Jewish community. Their families are crying out for help. ”
He added, “Upon receiving the report of the heavy disaster, we at ZAKA prepared to assist in locating and rescuing the victims and treating the dead, irrespective of religious or racial differences.”
(Arutz Sheva).