Israeli rescue mission lands in Colombia following devastating earthquake

An Israeli rescue delegation landed in Cali, Colombia, on Friday. The mission was dispatched following instructions from Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar. An advance team from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was already in Cali to coordinate rescue efforts in the wake of the recent devastating earthquake. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Alon Lavi and Brig. Gen. Yossi Pinto, commander of the IDF rescue unit, departed immediately upon arrival to conduct a situational assessment and survey affected sites. Rescue operations and humanitarian assistance are expected to commence in the coming hours. Vivian Aisen, Israel's new ambassador to Colombia, has received her credentials and is scheduled to arrive on Monday to join the mission. As of Thursday, the death toll from the 7.4-magnitude earthquake stood at 281, with 3,971 people injured and 379 reported missing.