Caracas hosted an Israeli technical delegation to assess buildings damaged by two earthquakes that struck the country on June 24, 2026, signaling an unprecedented diplomatic rapprochement after a 17-year rupture.
Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry said the mission includes experts in structural engineering and applied sciences who joined teams assessing damaged infrastructure.
The official statement quoted Foreign Minister Yván Gil thanking “the arrival of the technical mission from the State of Israel” as part of international technical cooperation and support for the Venezuelan people.
The Israeli account, however, revealed broader details about the nature of the delegation. Ynet news reported that the delegation is a joint mission between the Foreign Ministry and the Israeli army, led by Brig. Gen. Elad Edri, chief of staff of the Home Front Command. The Times of Israel also reported that the mission includes military and civilian personnel, while i24NEWS described it as exceptional cooperation between two countries that have had no formal relations for nearly 17 years.
Caracas severed ties with Tel Aviv in January 2009 in protest against Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip at the time, expelled the Israeli ambassador, and, under Presidents Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, adopted a consistent foreign policy in support of the Palestinian cause.
Moreover, reports in Venezuela said Israeli aid organizations that worked in Gaza in coordination with the Israeli occupation army during Israel’s genocide in the Strip announced their intention to send relief teams to Venezuela.
The Israeli mission’s arrival coincides with growing domestic anger over the handling of the disaster. Reuters reported that volunteers and residents led rescue operations with rudimentary tools in La Guaira, accusing army and police personnel of obstructing the distribution of aid or seizing it, while the Venezuelan government denies the accusations and frames them as part of “disinformation” campaigns.
The two earthquakes that struck Venezuela less than a minute apart measured 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale. So far, they have killed more than 1,900 people and injured more than 10,000, as operations continue to retrieve victims from under the rubble.
