A delegation of more than 160 Israeli search and rescue experts was greeted at Ben Gurion Airport on Monday afternoon, after spending the past week saving civilians trapped under collapsed buildings in Turkey following a devastating earthquake that struck the region.
The Israel Defense Forces Home Front Command teams — which also included some Magen David Adom paramedics and Fire and Rescue Service officials — managed to rescue 19 civilians from the rubble in southeastern Turkey.
“This is an unprecedented number of rescues compared to previous IDF rescue missions,” the military said in a statement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, welcoming the delegation back in Israel, said, “The entire people of Israel are proud of you.”
“The entire people of Israel followed your rescue operation with great emotion. You went on behalf of the country and you brought great honor to the State of Israel. We saw you in action in the cold, in difficult conditions around the clock in the most sacred work a person can do — saving the lives of others,” Netanyahu said.
Read the full article on Times of Israel>>
