The Israeli army delegation that is on its way to Turkey to help in rescue efforts, after a massive Monday earthquake left thousands dead and injured, includes 150 troops.
Operation “Olive Branch” is the Israeli army’s 30th mission in the past 41 years, and is being led by Col. Golan Vach, who said it was “an honor to help our friends in Turkey.”
“This is the worst situation since the earthquake in Haiti” in 2021, in which nearly 2,250 people died, he added.
“The soldiers will be dispatched to Adana (southern Turkey),” he continued. “We are also ready for humanitarian aid, but the Turkish government has requested search and rescue teams at this stage. We are aware that other earthquakes could happen.”
Vach noted that Israel “offered help to the Syrians, but that’s not part of this step.”
An Israeli army mission visited Turkey in 1999 after an earthquake as well, but its rescue capabilities are much greater nowadays.
Related Story: Rescuers Scramble in Turkey, Syria After Quake Kills More Than 4,000
